Sword Art Online: The White Dragon
by WhiteDragonKnight
Summary: This is the Story of Saburo as he journeys through the perilous world of Sword Art Online! He will make friends along the way, and he will make enemies. The world of SAO is a hostile place, but with perseverance and friends to back him, Saburo just might make it out alive!
1. Chapter 1

Sword Art Online:

The White Dragon

A/N: Hi there! My name is WhiteDragonKnight, but you can just call me Dragon! Though I've read many Fanfictons from the community, this is my first time ever writing one! I've just recently watched Sword Art Online (The whole season in two days) and was mystified by it! Anyways, enough rambling from me! On to the point! I noticed there wasn't an extraordinary amount of SAO fanfictions on the site, as one might expect, so I've decided to undertake the daunting task of capturing the story in my own words. The story will follow my OC Saburo on his journey through castle Aincrad. There will be bosses, skills, weapons, and items, which do not exist in the original Sword Art Online. This is to add character development. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of Sword Art Online: The White Dragon! Don't forget to Rate and Review!

Chapter One: Sword Art Online

November 6, 2022 12:56 PM

17 year old, Kobayashi Saburo's hands quivered in excitement as he opened his mailbox. The metal door gave a low creaking moan, shedding small traces of rust as he slowly pulled the lid down. The warm sunlight spilled into the metal container, illuminating his prize. There, in its glamorous case, was a brand new copy of the just released VRMMO (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online), Sword Art Online. "Yes!" Saburo cheered, punching his fist in the air as he held up the game in a victorious pose. He'd sat beside his computer with a digital timer on the day online sales began, ensuring that he'd get a copy of the game. "It's finally here! I've been waiting forever!" In his excitement, Saburo forgot to remove the rest of the mail, leaving the mailbox door wide open as his ran down his driveway and into the house.

"Saburo, lunch is almost ready! I made steamed broccoli and teriyaki chicken!" His mother, Miki, called from the kitchen as he ran inside. The aroma of steamed vegetables and well-seasoned meat wafted around the house. Unconsciously his face scrunched up. He'd never liked steamed broccoli all that much, but his mother's teriyaki chicken was the best he'd ever had, so he usually just dipped the broccoli in the leftover sauce before eating it. "Sorry, Mom. I'm going to be online all afternoon. Sword Art Online just came in! Save me some food for later!" Saburo called as he ran past the kitchen and upstairs to his room. His 12 year old little brother Kaito's room was just across the hall from his. The door was ajar, revealing Kaito shouting into his mike like a sailor as he played some FPS game on his computer.

Saburo barged into his room, throwing his checkered black and white hoodie in the corner as he moved to his computer desk. As he crossed his somewhat messy room, he caught a glimpse of himself in the dusty full length mirror that rested against his wall just below a Sword Art Online poster featuring a generic hero and heroine. His hair was dyed a silvery-white and came down just to his shoulders in natural spikes. He had dark brown eyes and a handsome, angular face. His skin was pale from his habit of staying indoors for hours on end, playing online games. Saburo wore a black SAO t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans accompanied by orange sneakers. He booted up both of his homemade monitors as he sat in his squeaky swivel chair, cracking his knuckles. His NerveGear sat further back on his desk, just behind his black mouse pad. A window over his bed lit the room nicely, giving it a warm glow. Saburo couldn't stop smiling from pure anticipation as he inserted the disk into his computer. There was a low hum as the machine processed the disk, initiating the game. A notification popped up on his monitor, signaling that Sword Art Online was ready to be played. Saburo nodded confidently. "Alright, then, let's do this!"

Saburo grabbed the NerveGear helmet, and lay down on his bed, stretching in anticipation of the amount of time he would spend online. He put the NerveGear on and hit the power switch on the side, initiating the startup sequence. Saburo stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom through the visor and watched the fan rotate slowly for a couple of seconds. Finally, he closed his eyes. "Link, Start!"

The world flashed stark white as the FullDive began. Brilliant colors began to rush past Saburo, like an aurora of multicolored light. Menu screens appeared in front of him confirming that his senses were synced with the FullDive. The language option blipped onto the screen, followed by Saburo's login credentials. The world flashed white once more, and Saburo found himself in a spacious chamber, surrounded by character creation screens. He kept his appearance mostly the same, leaving his hair color, but changing his eyes to a fiery orange hue. He also changed his face, making himself appear slightly older than he actually was. He confirmed his character customization, and then moved on to his class. Saburo chose to wield a one handed long sword as his primary weapon. "Select your Avatar's name." A computerized female voice said as a holo-keyboard materialized in front of him. Saburo typed his own name into the keyboard and hit enter. "Confirm Avatar?" The synthesized voice asked. "Confirm." Saburo said. The world went black around him.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the middle of a bustling medieval marketplace, filled with other players just like him. A green HP Bar was in the upper left corner of his field of vision. It faded away unless Saburo trained his eyes on that particular spot. He was wearing a long sleeved grey cloth shirt made of a light material. Over his shirt was a brown leather plate that fit on like a vest. His pants were black and he wore a pair of brown leather boots. His hands were covered by a pair of fingerless black gloves. A standard straight-edge long sword hung in a scabbard on his hip. Saburo eyes widened as he realized the scope of the FullDive system. He could sense everything, as if his avatar were his real body, in a real place. He could feel the warm breeze rustling through his silver hair. He could smell the scents of the market, combining into an amalgamation of colorful aromas. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking it all in.

"So this is the Town of Beginnings?" Saburo said, training his orange eyes on the fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily through the blue sky. In the distance, he could see what appeared to be a stone pillar rising up into the clouds. Castle Aincrad was composed of 100 Floors, all connected by stairwells. If the Floor Boss was cleared, the next floor up would be available to all players on the floor below. The bosses were increasingly difficult as one rose through the floors. Since the game was just launched, the Boss Room for the first floor hadn't been discovered yet. "Guess I'd better ask around and get some info on where I need to head for my first quest."

As he strode through the clamor of the marketplace, Saburo saw players bartering with merchants, engaging in duels, or simply just chatting casually. Though their appearances varied greatly, all of the players seemed to be in the same standard gear as Saburo. Finally he spotted a friendly looking player at a weapons market. The player was male, thin, and looked to be around Saburo's age. He had dark green hair, tied back into a short ponytail with two bangs hanging in front of his face. A long katana hung at his hip. His shirt and pants were both an earthy brown color, the shades varying slightly. He was negotiating prices for a set of potions with a player that ran the market. Saburo strode up casually to the stand, as if he were going to buy some merchandise. The green haired boy spoke first. "Lemme guess. New player, looking to find his way in the world of SAO? Tell me if I'm right." He said, smiling. Saburo's mouth gaped. "How did you...?" He stammered. "I'm intuitive about these kinds of things." he said, tossing Saburo one of the potions he had just bought. "The name's Ailwen. I was a beta-tester, so I notice new players when I see them." Saburo smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry. We were all there, once." Ailwen said laughing. "So what can I help you with?" He asked. "I was wondering if you could give me some information on where I could get my first quest, and maybe some better gear." Saburo replied. "The first quest is due north of here, in Horunka village, but the path is filled with monsters. Do you know how to fight yet?" Ailwen asked as they began to walk through the marketplace. "No, unfortunately not. I just started playing a little while ago." They emerged out of the marketplace into a large, open fountain square. "We'll then, what do you say I teach you, in a duel?" Ailwen asked, drawing his katana. "You look like a tough opponent. I'll get wrecked!" Saburo protested, throwing his hands up. "Strength, true strength, comes from putting yourself to the challenge. Don't hold anything back, because I sure won't!" Ailwen raised his right hand and slid it in a downwards motion, opening the SAO menu, a series of panels that hovered in front of him. The menu gave a bell-chime every time he scrolled through an option. He selected the challenge option, then Saburo's name. A pop-up appeared in front of the Silver-haired player, reading 'Accept Duel Challenge?' Saburo pressed the 'O' button, confirming the challenge. "Alright! Let's get started." Ailwen said, twirling his katana. "The first thing you need to know about combat, is that there are two types of attacks. Manual attacks, which are performed by the player at will." Ailwen said, slashing his blade through the air in a 'Z' pattern. "The player decides how their weapons move. The second types of attacks are Sword Skill attacks. The work in preset combos and are triggered by the Motion Input system." Ailwen said, raising his arm over his head. His blade glowed radiant purple, and when he sliced the air there was an arc of electricity that trailed after his blade. A crowd of players had begun to gather around them as they practiced, watching on with interest. "Your avatar will know a few Sword Skills by default. You get one class-standard skill and one randomized skill to start off. "Try out manual attacks, then Sword Skills." Ailwen explained. Saburo stepped in a lunge, thrusting, then whipped around in a radial attack. "Manual feels pretty good! This blade feels so natural." Saburo said as he assumed a standing stance. "Now try out your Sword Skills." Ailwen said. Saburo searched his avatar's mind for the preset combinations and found them. They were like fresh memories in his mind. "Here goes nothing..." He said drawing his arm back. He dashed forwards and his blade glowed white as he brought it around in a horizontal strike. "I could get used to this!" He said holding up his blade and laughing. "Now for the other Sword Skill!" Saburo slashed his sword in an 'X' pattern, his blade glowing red. His long sword burst into flames and the 'X' shape shot from his sword in a blaze of fire. "Holy crap!" Ailwen shouted, diving to the ground in panic. The flaming 'X' narrowly missed an onlooker and dispersed in midair. "Sorry!" Saburo exclaimed. "I didn't expect that to happen!" Ailwen got to his feet, eyes wide in awe. "I've never seen that Sword Skill before! Look up your skill names. They're in your Player Stats Menu." He said as he picked up his Katana. Saburo opened the menu and scrolled through his player stats. "Skill One, Horizontal, Skill Two, Fireburst." Saburo said before collapsing the menu. "Fireburst, huh? They must have added it after beta. I've never heard of it before. It seems like it's rare, so you should consider yourself lucky." Ailwen said. "Anyways, now that you've got the basics down, we should fight." He continued, smirking. "Let's use manual attacks only. I want this to be a real test of skill." Saburo said. Ailwen reset the duel timer, this time setting it on a four minute timer.

"Don't go easy on me." Saburo said as the sixty second duel timer counted down. "Don't worry, I'll give it my all." Ailwen said, drawing his katana. The timer dipped into its final countdown, and the crowd began to chant. "Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" Saburo and Ailwen charged at each other, blades breaking the air with a harsh metal ring. Ailwen caught Saburo across the cheek with a Slant Sword Skill, jumping back to avoid his opponent's counterattack. Though Saburo didn't feel much pain, he saw his health bar drop a little as a red wound opened on his cheek, revealing pixelated blood. As Ailwen dashed back in to attack, Saburo parried, and twisted his sword, throwing his opponent's blade into the air. Ailwen was caught off guard and Saburo took the opportunity to shoulder charge him, knocking him to the ground. Ailwen was ready to spring back to his feet, but stopped when he saw Saburo's blade angled at his throat. The Duel Timer ended and a screen similar to the menus appeared, signaling Saburo as the winner. "Good game." Saburo said, sheathing his sword and offering and hand to help Ailwen up. "Yea, you're a fast learner! I didn't expect you to be so quick with a long blade like that." Ailwen said, taking Saburo's hand. Saburo sent Ailwen a friend request, through the menu as the crowd began to disperse. Ailwen accepted the request and recovered his sword, sheathing it. "I haven't had a challenge lime that in ages. C'mon, I'll show you around Aincrad."

The rest of the day flew by with Ailwen showing Saburo around the First Floor of Castle Aincrad. The floor was massive, far more so than Saburo realized. He knew SAO was an MMO, but the scale of the game was simply monumental.

November 6, 2022, 5:25 PM

As the day came to a close, Saburo and Ailwen found themselves in the marketplace once again, buying supplies after they had been training in the field. "I should probably log off soon. I'm getting pretty hungry. Saburo said as he handed the merchant his Col, SAO currency. "Yea, same here." Ailwen said as his stomach grumbled loudly. "Why don't we meet up here tomorrow? We can head to the first village and team up for the first quest." He suggested. Saburo nodded. "Sounds like a plan." They both turned in unison, swiping their hands down to open the menu. Saburo was the first to notice the anomaly. "Hey, there's no 'Log Out' option." He said, scrolling through the menu again to check. "It's right at the bottom." Ailwen said, scrolling through his own menu. "See, right..." He stopped as his finger hovered over the spot where the 'Log Out' option should have been. "That's weird, they more than likely didn't move the option between beta and launch." He said, scratching his head. "Well, the game is just out of beta, there may be a few bugs at the very least." Saburo suggested. "Let me try calling a Game Master." Ailwen said as he scrolled through various menu screens. "Game Master?" Saburo asked tilting his head. "They're like system admins. If there's a bug with logging out, they can just kick all players off if the server. That'll solve the problem." A call screen appeared on Ailwen's menu, but after around a minute of waiting, the call ended due to inactivity. "That's strange. Someone should have answered." Ailwen said. "I'll try." Saburo said as he opened his menu. With no warning at all, a loud bell began to ring. There was a flash of blue light that surrounded the both of them and Saburo was blinded.

As the light around him faded, Saburo could see that he was standing in an open courtyard, bricks decorating the floor under his feet. A looming clock tower rose up in the center of the area, tolling like a warning siren. One by one, Players began filling the courtyard, appearing in the same blue light that surrounded Saburo. Ailwen materialized beside him. "What's going on?!" Saburo asked, hoping the more experienced player would have an idea of the situation. "This was a forced teleport! Only GM's can do that sort of thing! The only other thing I could think of would be an Event!" Ailwen said. All of the sudden, the commotion grew even louder, and Players began pointing at the sky.

Far up above them, in the sky, was a hexagonal red panel that read 'WARNING' in all capitals. "What?" Saburo stammered. All of the sudden, the 'WARNING' sign spread across the entire sky as far as the eye could see. Players were beginning to panic. "Ailwen, look!" Saburo shouted pointing. From in-between the warning panels, thick red liquid began to ooze, collecting into a web-like shape over the courtyard. Slowly the liquid coalesced into a gigantic hooded figure, wearing red robes with golden trim. "A game master?!" Ailwen exclaimed. The players all around them began to mutter, some scared, some excited.

The towering game master spoke in a deep voice, spreading his arms wide. "Attention, players. Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko." Saburo gasped. Kayaba Akihiko was the man who created SAO. "As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world." "What could he possibly mean by that?" Ailwen said. The Game Master continued. "I'm sure you've ready noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu. But this is not a defect in the game. I repeat...This is not a defect in the game." "Not a defect? Just what is going on?" A female player nearby asked, clutching to her boyfriend. "It is a feature of Sword Art Online." The Game Master explained, scrolling through a massive menu that matched his size. "You cannot log out of SAO yourselves. And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain, and thus ending your life." The slowly escalating panic in the crowd rose even more as several players cried out in fear, or even accusation. "This is bad, very bad." Saburo said. "If my mom or little brother removes my NerveGear..." He looked at the ground. "If the safety on the NerveGear is removed, it could be lethal." Ailwen said holding his head in his hands. The Game Master continued to speak, despite the ongoing chaos. Some players tried to leave the courtyard, but were surprised to find that an invisible wall encased the entire area, preventing escape. "Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning, and have attempted to remove the NerveGear. As a result, two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world." Saburo gasped in shock. Varying monitor screen began to appear around the Game Master showing newscasts from all over the world. "As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the deaths. Thus, you can assume the danger of a NerveGear being removed is now minimal. I hope you will relax and attempt to clear the game." Saburo's tension receded ever so slightly, though he still remained on edge. "But I want you to remember this clearly." The Game Master started. "There is no longer any method to revive someone within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be forever lost. And simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain." A unified gasp of fear emitted from the crowd as players jumped in shock. "There is only one means of escape. To complete the game. You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, Floor 1. If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the floor boss, you may advance to the next level. Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game." Ailwen cringed. "The final boss?' We only ever made it to floor six in beta! It took two months!" He said to Saburo. "Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourselves." Saburo swiped his right hand downwards, opening the menu and scrolled through his inventory. Finally he spotted the item name. "Mirror?" He removed the item from his inventory. A small handheld rectangular mirror materialized and dropped into his hand. As he stared at his avatar's face in the mirror, he was enveloped in a blue light. A around him, the players were being engulfed in the same light. When the light show cleared, Saburo looked at his reflection once more. Instead of his avatar's face, he stared back at his own. His face had reverted back to its original, but his avatar's orange eyes had remained. "Saburo?" A somewhat familiar face called from beside him. "Ailwen?" His friend's green hair had remained in the same style, but his hair was now shorter, and the bangs in the front of his head came down just to his eyes, instead of his shoulders. They both looked around at the crowd. A lot of the female players were reverted into males wearing female clothing. Several couples cried out in shock, at the thought that they had been dating the same gender. "How is this possible?" Saburo asked still reeling from the fact that everyone had taken on their natural appearance. "The NerveGear has a scan that can sense your whole face. It must be wired to be able to change your avatar." Ailwen explained as he touched his new face. He now appeared to be around 19 years old. "I guess it's good that we didn't change our natural looks too much." Saburo said. "Some people were in for a real surprise. The Game Master spoke once more, breaking the loud uproar from the players. "Right now, you're probably wondering 'Why?' Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do all this? My goal has been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason...To create this world, and intervene in it. And now, it is complete." Ailwen and Saburo growled in anger. "This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch." The Game Master continued. "Good luck, players." As the GM finished, he began to dissolve back into pixels that dispersed into the air. The sky reverted back to its normal sunset color.

There were several seconds of silence as the players soaked in the events that had just transpired. 'This isn't just a game anymore!' Saburo thought to himself. 'This is a fight for survival! If we die here, we die in the real world!' All at once the eerie silence was shattered as the player filling the plaza began to scream and shout. "Saburo! We need to go now!" Ailwen said, snapping his friend out of his trance. "The invisible wall is down!" Saburo nodded, clenching his fist. "Right! Let's go!"

As they ran through the empty streets of the Town of beginnings, Ailwen spoke. "Here's the rundown. We have to get to the next village right now! This is a struggle for strength now. The players with the best equipment and items will be the ones who survive! We have to become as strong as possible if we want to live. This isn't a journey a player can go alone. We need to team up!" Saburo nodded as they ran along. "This isn't a game anymore. What's our plan?" Ailwen scrolled through his menu and pulled up a map. "Soon the Town of Beginnings will be picked clean for money and EXP. If we head to Horunka village now, and do some higher level quests, we'll have access to upper-tier items and equipment. It won't be easy, but teamed up we can do it!" "Even at lvl.1, you're confident we can make it?" Saburo asked as they came to the outskirts of town. "Yea, I learned all the paths to get there safely." They stopped at the edge of town. Saburo held out his hand. "Then we'll survive." Ailwen nodded and turned, shaking his hand. "Right, then! Let's get to it!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Boss

December 2, 2022 5:00 PM

Two black-cloaked Swordsmen walked through the streets of Torubana Town, the raid base for the first floor boss. At one swordsman's hip hung a Katana, at the other's was a scabbard that held a one handed straight-edged cleaver. They were there to attend the Boss Battle meeting. Apparently a search party had discovered the Boss Room the previous day, and they were arranging an assault.

In the month that had passed since the game began, two thousand players met their fates. Even with all the time that elapsed, the first floor of Aincrad remained yet to be cleared. Despite all the players present in the plaza, there was a quite that hung over the place, amplifying the grim mood that hung over everyone.

One of the swordsmen removed his hood, letting his silver hair glint in the sunlight, as he pointed in the direction of the fountain plaza that was just ahead of them. There were a few scattered market stalls, players idly chatting around them. "Hey, Ailwen, there's where we need to go. The meeting's in an amphitheater just past the central plaza. Ailwen removed his hood. "Once we clear this floor, we'll be one step closer to being free of this game." Saburo nodded. "I still can't believe we've managed to stay alive this long. Even though it's only been a month, it feels like a year." He said as they walked into the plaza. A large crowd was gathered in the center of the plaza, around an ornate water fountain. "Huh? What's going on? I thought the meeting was at the amphitheater." Saburo said as they approached the clamoring crowd.

"Maybe they changed the location and we're just late." Ailwen suggested as he pushed through the crowd. Saburo was the first to break through. In the center of the crowd were two men dressed in knights' armor looming over a teenage girl with raven-black hair that hung to her hips. She wore a black skirt with blue and white trim, and a sleeveless black blouse that matched. The girl sported knee high black boots, and a long rapier hung at her side. She had violet-colored eyes. One of the men was shouting furiously at her. "You will pay your taxes to the Aincrad Liberation Force! It's our job to see that wealth is divided evenly among the players of SAO." The girl drew her rapier. "Why don't you take them, asshats?" She said in a cocky voice. "As you wish." The man said drawing his greatsword. His cohort did the same as they advanced. "You've got that look on your face Saburo. Like you're about to do something stupid." Ailwen laughed. "Oh come on! Two on one? That's not a fair fight. Someone's gotta do something." The silver haired teenager said, drawing his sword. Ailwen threw his hands up. "Alight. Just leave me out of it! I don't want to get in trouble with the military."

One of the knights was caught completely off-guard as he was blasted off of his feet by a flaming red 'X'. "What?" His friend said as Saburo, stepped into the center of the crowd, throwing off his cloak and revealing his armor. He wore a metal-plated leather tunic over his cloth shirt. His pants were padded with leather on the knees and his boots were now plated with metal on the soles. Saburo's sword glinted, the blue-silver blade throwing off sunlight. "You dare cross the Aincrad Liberation Force?!" The knight he had attacked said as he got to his feet. "I dunno," Saburo said as he assumed a battle stance. "I'd say you just got crossed pretty hard."

The knights growled in anger. "I didn't ask for your help! I had it under control." The raven-haired girl said, as she moved into her own battle stance. "It's the holidays. Why not be a little generous." Saburo shrugged. "Even though your HP won't drop in a safe zone like this, we can still beat you senseless! Don't be so cocky, boy" One of the knights snarled as he charged Saburo. The teenager sidestepped and tripped the man, sending him flying. "You little ingrate!" The second guard said, as he charged.

Saburo was surprised when the raven-haired girl stepped in front of him and thrust at the guard with her rapier, moving incredibly fast. The knight was sent sprawling backwards. "Even though HP won't drop in safe zones, there's still a knockback effect on weapons. So, do you two want to give up?" The girl began. "Or get bashed around some more?" Saburo finished. The knights looked at each other, and then sheathed their weapons. "You won't always be in a safe-zone. The Aincrad Liberation Force will remember you two." The knights pushed past Saburo roughly, and walked away. "I see you made some friends." Ailwen said, laughing as he walked over. Saburo sheathed his sword. "Looks like it." He replied, jokingly. "Who are you two?" The girl asked as she put away her rapier.

"My name is Saburo. This Ailwen. We partnered up after the Game Master incident." The silver-haired swordsman explained, motioning to his friend. "My name's Rena. I suppose I should thank you for intervening." The girl said as the crowd began to disperse. "Yea, what was the deal with those guys anyways?" Ailwen asked. "I heard something about taxes?" Saburo said. "They're the Aincrad Liberation Force. A guild that's been acting as a military of sorts, demanding taxes from richer players to 'distribute wealth'. So far they've been gaining a lot of recognition." Rena explained. A nearby clock tower chimed, making her jump. "Oh, man! I'm gonna be late for the boss meeting!" She exclaimed. "We gotta go too!" Ailwen said, grabbing Saburo by the collar as he ran across the plaza.

The amphitheater was a wide open outdoor area with coliseum stairs that led down to a stage. A blue haired man, maybe in his late twenties and wearing a suit of armor, stood at the bottom of the stage, pacing, as everyone got seated. Rena sat with Saburo and Ailwen as they looked on with interest. "Okay everyone! Let's get this meeting underway!" The blue haired man shouted.

"Thank you for coming today. My name is Diabel. I like to consider myself a knight!" He said giving his chestplate a firm 'thump' with his fist. Despite their grim mood, a laugh went up from the crowd. "You know there's no job system in this game!" A person the crowd called. "Nevertheless, someone has to perform the job!" Diabel said, confidently. "As most of you know, yesterday, our party found the boss room at the top of the tower." The crowd grew silent as they listened. "We need to defeat the boss, reach the second floor, and tell everyone waiting in the Town of Beginnings that it is possible to beat this game!" Diabel said, his face growing serious. "Everyone at this meeting shares that duty! Do you all agree?" A unified confirmation came from the crowd. Slowly everyone began clapping and whistling. "Now that's what I call taking the initiative." Ailwen said as he clapped.

"Alright! Then let us begin our planning. First, divide into parties of six." Diabel said. Saburo looked around. The majority of players present seemed to know each other forming parties almost instantly. "We don't have enough to make six." Ailwen said. "Rena, why don't you form a party with us for the boss fight?" The raven-haired girl thought for a moment before agreeing. "Fine, but only because I owe you guys." She said as she scrolled through her menu, selecting the party option. "I don't intend to make partying with strangers a habit." Saburo and Ailwen accepted the party request. "Well, in this world, there's strength in numbers. We can all benefit from grouping up." Saburo said. As he accepted the request, Ailwen and Rena's names appeared next to his health bar, displaying their status. "I guess so." Rena said folding her arms. "Besides, you two seem friendly enough."

"Everyone got their parties set?" Diabel asked as the commotion settled. Just as he spoke, a lout outcry came from the top of the stairs. "Hey, wait just a second!" A burly man with spiky red hair and a greatsword strapped to his back leapt down the stairs. He landed on the stage beside Diabel. "My name's Kibaou!" He said in a gruff voice. "He's a bit theatrical, don't ya think?" Ailwen muttered, making Saburo and Rena laugh. "I wanna say something before we take the boss." Kibaou continued. "Some of you here need to apologize to the two thousand who have died so far!" "Oh, what is he on about?" Rena said as she yawned. Kibaou pointed an accusing finger at the crowd of onlookers.

"Kibaou-san, are you referring to the beta testers?" Diabel asked motioning to the crowd. "Of course I am!" Kibaou said, as if it were the most plainly obvious thing in the world. "The day this game started, the beta testers ditched the new players and disappeared, taking all the good hunting spots and quests for themselves, just to get stronger. Ailwen and Saburo visibly cringed. Though Saburo hadn't been in beta, he'd been right alongside Ailwen as they leveled up. "I'm sure someone here was in the beta!" Kibaou said, pointing his accusing finger at the crowd once again. "They should get on their knees and apologize! They should give us compensation for the information that they kept to themselves!"

As Kibaou spoke, a tall, bald, black man with a goatee got up from his seat and walked to the stage. Saying nothing, he scrolled through his inventory. A small brown book appeared in his hand. "My name is Egil." He said in a deep, but kind voice. He held the book up high for everyone to see. "Kibaou, you got this book when you bought your copy of SAO, right? It was free online and in stores." Kibaou trembled a bit at the size of the man before regaining his composure. "Yea, what about it?" He said gruffly. "This book was a beginner's guide to SAO." Egil said, flipping through the pages. "It was composed by the beta testers." He continued. "Everyone had the same amount of information available to them. Without this information, the two thousand deaths could be four thousand, or more. That is all." Egil returned to his seat, leaving Kibaou on the stage. He strode over to an empty seat and sat down, saying nothing.

"All right." Diabel said as he returned to the stage. "Then, can we resume? The latest addition of that guide book was just issued, and it contains information on the first floor boss."

The crowd gasped, as Diabel thumbed through the guidebook. "According to this, the boss's name is Illfang the Kobold Lord. He is guarded by assistants known as Ruin Kobold Sentinels." Diabel said, reading from the book. "He is armed with an axe and a buckler. He has four health bars, and when the last one enters the red, he switches to a curved sword-type weapon called a Talwar. His attack pattern changes as well." "This is going to be a difficult fight." Saburo said. "Yea, even with all of the people we have here." Rena added. "Diabel seems to know his stuff." Ailwen said. "If we all coordinate properly, we should be able to handle it."

The audience whispered and muttered about the boss as Diabel closed the book. "This concludes the briefing." The blue haired knight said. "Lastly, items will be automatically distributed. EXP goes to the party that defeats the monster. And whoever receives an item keeps it. Any objections?"

"Okay, then." Diabel said. "We leave tomorrow at ten in the morning. See you there!" He said punching his fist on the air. The crowd began to chatter, some people leaving, some staying behind to talk amongst their parties.

"Well then, I guess we should get going!" Rena said standing and stretching. "Who's hungry? I'll buy you guys a meal for helping me out with the liberation force. "I could go for some food!" Saburo piped up. "Same here!" Ailwen said, standing. "Come on," Rena said motioning. "There's an inn across town with great food!"

"Oh boy!" Saburo exclaimed as he reclined from the table in his chair. "I might burst if I eat another bite!" "Likewise." Ailwen said as he finished the last bite of his chocolate cake. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," Rena said as she sipped her tea. "It's getting a bit late though; we should all be well rested for the boss fight." She said, setting the teacup down. "I'll go rent us all rooms for the night.

As Saburo lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, he thought about the upcoming day. 'It's going to be the toughest fight we've encountered so far.' He thought to himself as moonlight shined through the window of his bedroom. 'We might not all make it out of there alive. Ailwen and I are both level 13, so we should be ok. But what about Rena, and all the other players? I guess it's up to us to protect them.' Saburo drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the world that he once lived in.

December 3, 2022 9:55 AM

"Hey, Saburo, wake up! It's nearly time to go!" Rena called knocking on his door. Saburo sat up, rubbing his eyes groggily. "I'll be out in a second." He said grabbing his cleaver from beside his bed and strapping it on to his hip.

The entire raid party tromped through the Forest Field of Floor one as they made their way to the boss tower. "Let's check over the battle plan one more time." Ailwen said as they walked through the forest, sunlight filtering through the emerald green leaves above. "We're the leftover group, the smallest. Our job is to target the boss's helpers while the parties of six, engage the head honcho." Saburo said. "We know Ailwen; you've been going over the plan all morning." Rena groaned as she absentmindedly slashed through the undergrowth with her rapier. Saburo nodded. "I stagger the helpers; Rena switches in and finishes them off, and Ailwen guards for any helper that may catch the full parties off guard."

"Super easy." Saburo said confidently. "Just making sure we got it memorized." Ailwen said laughing. "The sooner we beat this boss, the sooner we can get home." Rena said. "Let's give it our all!"

The entire raid party stood in front of the boss door, a massive iron gate, lit on either side by torches. Diabel stood in front of the door and unsheathed his sword, breaking the deadening silence in the room. "Listen up, everyone." He said in a clear voice. "I only have one thing to say. Let's win!" Diabel shouted, clasping his fist.

A cheering uproar radiated from the raid party as the punched their fists in the air. Diabel turned and slowly pushed the massive iron door open. The faces of the rain party steeled. The boss room was a wide open throne room, stone columns rising up to the ceiling and meeting in arches.

In the darkness of the room, a pair of red eyes flashed open. The room filled with light, revealing a stained glass floor and ceiling. The boss, Illfang was a hulking bipedal lizard-like creature with red scaly skin. A thrashing tail extended from behind him and his belly lapped over his loincloth. On his stomach was a light blue, diamond-shaped pattern.

With a ferocious roar, the boss leaped off of his throne, landing in the center of the room and emitting a bone-rattling roar. The sentinels, shaped like miniature knights with maces, began to appear all around the room. Their red lizard tails swished behind them.

"Commence attack!" Diabel shouted, pointing his sword at the boss. The raid party charged at the boss, throwing up a roar of battle cries. "The sentinels!" Diabel yelled over the loud din of clashing weapons. Saburo dashed at the first sentinel, bringing his sword around in an uppercut, knocking the monster's weapon from its grasp. "Rena, Switch!" Saburo shouted, jumping back. "Rena rushed in with incredible speed, slicing the monster five times before it could even react. As its HP dropped to zero, the monster shattered into multicolored bits of light.

"Squad B! Squad D! Switch!" Diabel called directing with his sword. "Squad A! Guard!" The boss's HP had reached its next to last bar. As the raid parties swapped positions, Saburo and Rena, continued to trade blows with the sentinels, defeating them one, by one. Saburo disarming them, and Rena dealing the death blows. Ailwen continued to assist the raid parties, Redirecting stray sentinels towards Saburo and Rena.

As the boss's final HP bar dropped into red, the lizard like monster threw away its weapons and drew the weapon that hung from the scabbard on its back. "I'll go!" Diabel said, rushing in for the final blow.

Ailwen gasped as he saw the boss's weapon. "That isn't a Talwar!" He stammered. "That's a No-Dachi!" The weapon was like an axe with the blade running vertical, instead of horizontal. "Diabel, get back!" Ailwen said running towards the boss.

Saburo heard Ailwen shout, and turned just in time to see him dash at Diabel, knocking him out of the way with his shoulder. The boss brought its weapon down, crashing into Ailwen and knocking him into one of the stone pillars that lined the room. Saburo and Rena ran over as the boss continued to attack the raid party. Ailwen HP bar slid to zero just as Saburo kneeled down beside him. "Been a wild ride, eh?" He choked out. "Saburo, don't let this world win."

Ailwen shattered into prismatic points of light, as Saburo shed a tear. Over the month that they had traveled together, the two had become like brothers. And now Saburo had to watch as his brother died in his arms. Rena let out a soft sob. "Saburo..."

The silver haired teenager turned to face the boss. The fury in his orange eyes was multiplied by anguish. Saburo grasped his sword in both hands and raised it over his head, the blade glowing red hot.

"FIRE...BURST!" The flaming projection took shape and rocketed into Illfang, making the boss stagger backwards. The heads of the raid party turned to see Saburo charging at the boss, cleaver trailing out behind him as he roared a battle cry. Rena gasped as she saw the normally calm and collected teenager transformed into the epitome of rage. Saburo jumped into the air, his sword connecting with the boss's neck as he flew past the lizard-like monster. Diabel got to his feet in time to see Saburo touch down onto the floor, feet first.

For a split moment everything in the room was silent. The boss stood, frozen in the same position he had been in when Saburo's blade struck him. The raid party watched as the HP bar dropped to zero above the boss's head and the monster exploded into fragments of light.

The silence was broken by the voice of a raid member. "We-we did it!"

Joyous shouts exploded from the mouths of the raid party as a 'Congratulations' screen appeared over the boss's throne. While everyone was celebrating, Saburo kneeled on the floor, panting. A small white screen appeared in front of his face, indicating that he'd been elevated to Lvl.14. Another screen popped up. 'Congratulations! You got the last attacking bonus!' The screen read. 'Bonus item, Luna's Embrace has been added to your inventory.'

A voice cane from behind him as he sat on the floor, clutching his head in his hands. "Saburo..." Rena sat beside him, Ailwen's katana lying across her lap. "I think he would have wanted you to have this." She said as she handed the silver haired swordsman the blade. Diabel walked over as a tear dropped from Saburo' face onto the sheath of the katana. "I'm sorry about your friend. I shouldn't have made a rash move like trying to get the finishing blow by myself." Diabel said, putting a hand on Saburo's shoulder. "He wasn't my friend," Saburo said standing. He put the katana in his inventory. "He was my brother." "He knew that bosses attack patterns..." Diabel said. "Was he a beta tester?" Rena asked, as she stood. "A beta tester? Kibaou said, walking over. "You mean the kid who got squashed by Illfang? Serves him righ-" his gruff voice was cut off by Saburo's fist slamming into his face. Kibaou reeled backwards and fell, clutching his nose. He opened his eyes to see Saburo's blade pointed at his throat. "This isn't a safe zone." The silver haired teenager whispered. "Take it back." His voice cut the air like a sharpened blade, barely containing a sea of emotions.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Kibaou cried, crawling away from Saburo's cleaver. "We, should head back to the Town of Beginnings and tell everyone the news." Egil said walking up. "I'm sorry about your friend. Diabel and I, we were both beta tester's too. He didn't deserve to die like that."

"You got the drop." Diabel said. "What was it?" Saburo scrolled through his inventory. Final he found the item, 'Luna's Embrace', and equipped it.

The item was a white trench coat with orange trim. "Plus 30% damage to fire-type sword skills." Rena said, gasping as she read the item description. "That's insane!" Saburo remained silent. "What are you going to do now, Saburo? The first floor has been conquered. We could use someone like you on the front line." Egil said as they began to head out of the boss room. "I'm going to beat this world." The silver haired teen replied. "For Ailwen. For everyone."

Saburo stayed behind for just a moment as the raid party descended the tower, scrolling through his inventory for Ailwen's sword. His finger hovered over the item.

The name was only one word. 'Dragon'.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Firstly, I just wanna say thanks for all of the positive feedback! I never expected so many responses in such a short time! Second, this will be the third day in a row that I've put out a chapter. I can't make any promises that I'll be able to continue this trend, but I'll do my best to put out content quickly, without rushing it of course. Third, don't forget to follow/favorite if you want more SAO: The White Dragon. Lastly, here's the song I listened to while writing this chapter. Televisor- We wish you a merry Christmas. Got me feeling Christmas-y :3

Chapter 3: Holiday Holidaze

December 24, 2022 7:00PM Current Front line: Floor 20

Floor 7-Monster Arena

Saburo, fought furiously, fending off the Gargoyles that rushed at him from all sides. His white coat flared around him, twisting as if it were flapping in some undetectable wind. As he swung his flaming longsword, chips of stone flew from their contorted bodies, warbling cries hissing from their beaks. Saburo gave a sigh of relief as he cleaved the last gargoyle in two. The monster arena was a floor that resembled a giant maze, filled to the brim with monsters. The ceiling was so far up that in only appeared to be a black void that hung in the air. "That was a challenge. About time I found one." He said, as a screen blipped in front of him. 'You have been elevated to Lvl.30! New skill acquired! 'Apollo's Curse' is now available in the skills menu!'

Saburo was just about to open his menu, when another pop-up appeared. This one was a simple symbol, a white Exclamation Mark inside of an orange triangle. "A message? Wonder who it's from. He said pressing the symbol. "Saburo, head to Friben village on Floor eight if you could! I have a surprise for you!" -Rena

"Well, I'm not particularly busy at the moment." He said, as a Gargoyle dived silently from the ceiling above. Saburo turned and performed a Vertical Arc sword skill on the monster, destroying in one shot. He pulled a rectangular luminescent blue crystal from his pocket. He shouted clearly, "Teleport! Friben!"

The sky was black over the village as Saburo arrived at the teleport gate in a flash of blue light. Countless twinkling points of light dotted the heavens over Friben and a light peppering of snow fluttered down from the sky, covering the ground in a wintery cloak. Streetlamps lit the cobblestone walkways, casting a yellow-orange glow over the village. Wooden houses lined the streets, light from their windows mixing with the streetlamps.

"Hey Saburo! Over here!" A familiar voice called. Running down the street was Diabel, clad in his knights' armor. "Hey, you're late! Everyone's waiting for you at the tavern." Diabel said, panting. "Waiting for...me? What are you talking about?" Saburo stammered. "C'mon, you'll see. Everyone's at there already!"

Diabel led Saburo a short ways down the street to a tavern called 'The Ram's Eye.' Warm air from the roaring fireplace washed over Saburo as they entered. Glossy cherry wood floors reflected the firelight, illuminating the room. The scents of smoking fir wood, delicious food, and ale permeated the air.

"Diabel, Saburo!" A feminine voice called from the opposite side of the tavern. Saburo spotted Rena, Egil, and two more players that he didn't recognize, seated at varying spots around a rectangular table. Rena hugged Saburo as he walked over. "It's been a while." Saburo said as he sat down. "We didn't want you to spend Christmas battling monsters all day." Egil said laughing. "Christmas? Seems like it's still so far off." Saburo said. "Only a day away!" One of the strangers said. He was a burly, muscular player, maybe in his early twenties, with mirthful eyes. He had black hair and a thin beard that ran along his chin. An axe rested on the back of his chair. "My name's Agito!" He said giving a thumbs up. The girl sitting across from him set down a steaming cup of tea. She had blonde hair that was tied up in a bun, and light green eyes that seemed to track every detail around her. Despite her petite frame, a greatsword hung on the back of her chair. "I'm Natsumi!" She said, giving a warm smile.

"So, you're probably wondering what we all are doing here." Diabel began. "You mean, besides getting drunk off our asses?" Agito said, laughing uproariously. Egil tried to keep his composure, but ended up bursting into guffaws. "Well, we decided to form a guild, and we'd like you to be the leader, Saburo." Rena said as a waitress delivered several slices of caramel pie to everyone at the table.

"Why me?" Saburo asked as he dipped his fork into the creamy pie. "Well, for starters, you're probably one of the best natural swordsmen we've encountered." Diabel said. "Egil and I can second that." Rena said. "Plus, your moral compass never seems to vary from north." She commented. "I don't know if I'd make a very good leader." Saburo said, smiling sheepishly. "I'm honored that you all would want me though."

"Good leaders aren't made, Saburo, they're grown, from experience." Egil said. "We all have to start somewhere." "Do you guys have a guild name yet?" The silver haired swordsman asked. "Ehehehe..." Rena laughed "we were kind of hoping you'd be the one behind that..."

Saburo chewed his pie slowly as he contemplated a name. "How about...The Knights of Elysium?" He suggested. "It's not a bad name." Diabel said, shrugging. "Knuts awf Elseeum is good with me!" Agito said between bites of his pie, his mouth full. "I like it!" Natsumi said. "Suits me." Egil said.

"It's settled then!" Rena said raising her hand. "Today, were officially 'The Knights of Elysium'! Saburo, you should make a toast!"

The silver haired teen raised his mug. "To Ailwen." "I'll drink to that." Egil said. The newly formed guild clashed their mugs together with a cheer. "I'm looking forwards to this!" Saburo said smiling.

12:00

Saburo lay in his bed, his eyes closed but not sleeping. He'd retired early while the others remained downstairs in the tavern. He was exhausted from a day of training in the monster arena, raising his level. As Saburo fell asleep, he dreamed of his new guild and what the future would hold for them.

Christmas Day 10:00 AM

"Saburo, wake up!" Rena called knocking on his door. "We all thought we'd head to Taft for some Christmas shopping. You should tag along!"

Saburo sat up groggily in his bed. Lying on a chair across the room was Luna's Embrace, folded neatly. "One sec!" He called, getting up and slipping on the white and orange trench coat. As he opened the door, there was Rena, standing in a pair of purple pajamas that exposed her midriff. "I thought you said we were headed to Taft." Saburo said, keeping his eyes trained on her face. "What do you mean?" She asked, cocking her head. "You're still wearing your pajamas." Saburo said, laughing.

Rena's face slowly turned bright red. "EEEEEK!" She screamed, running down the hall to her inn room, and shutting the door quickly. Saburo could hear her muttering from down the hallway with his hearing skill. "Oh man, that was so embarrassing! I must've been so excited to go shopping that I forgot to change!"

The streets of Taft were bustling with players, crowding around various market stalls. Wreaths and decorative Christmas lights decorated the sides of buildings, and a gargantuan Christmas tree stood proud in the center of the town square. Numerous colorful ornaments adorned the boughs. A light frosting of snow coated the ground, crunching under their feet.

"Wow! It's so pretty here!" Natsumi said as she kicked up snow. "C'mon, Agito! Let's go buy some presents!" The burly axe-wielder protested as the petite, but strong girl grabbed his hand, pulling him along. "H-hey! You don't have to drag me Natsumi!"

"What's the deal with those two?" Saburo asked as he walked through the town with Egil, Diabel, and Rena. "I met them on the Front Line a few days back." Egil said. "They were leading the boss raid party that I was in. Things got nasty and the ended up pinned, so I saved their lives. Afterwards the asked if I'd be interested in forming a guild with them." Egil explained. "I figured we could use some other talented players like Rena, Diabel, and you. We decided to arrange a meeting at the tavern." Egil explained. "We couldn't decide on a leader so we decide to bring in a neutral party." Rena said. Diabel nodded. "We all agreed that you'd make a good guild boss!"

"I'm going to search for a tailor." Egil said after they'd walked around town for a bit. "Maybe we can see about getting some customs uniforms made for the guild. We never know if we'll be recruiting more members." "I'll go with you." Diabel said. Saburo shook his head in confirmation. "We should meet back at the teleport gate in a couple of hours." Egil and Diabel nodded before departing.

"I wonder if there's a blacksmith around here." Saburo said as he walked alongside Rena. "Why's that?" She asked. Nearby, in a park, a group of rowdy younger players were having a snowball fight. "I'm thinking about getting a custom sword made. I was fighting a field boss called Furnus the Firebane, and he dropped a rare smelting material called Draconium." "You soloed a field boss?! What Lvl. are you?!" Rena asked shocked.

"Lvl.30. I spent a while on a training excursion in the Monster Arena. The monsters there give really good EXP." Saburo explained. "Geez! The rest of us are only around Lvl.26. I guess you take training pretty seriously." The raven-haired girl said. "Well, a certain someone told me not to lose to this world. I'll fulfill that wish no matter what." Saburo said.

"I think there's a blacksmith just up ahead." Rena said, pointing to a small shop that stood on the street corner. "Let's check it out. They may be able to help you with your sword."

A small bell over the door rang as Saburo pushed it open. "I'll be out in just a minute!" A female voice called from the back of the shop. There was a clutter as if a metal sheet was being set down and a door opened, revealing the shop clerk. She had short pink hair and matching pink eyes. A small pin kept her bangs out of her face. "I'm Lisbeth! How may I help you?" She said giving a perfect business smile. "I have a bit of an odd request." Saburo said. "I'm sure I'm up to the task!" Lisbeth said confidently. "Just lay it on me."

"I'd like a one-handed longsword forged. But, I'd like you to use some Draconium I picked up from a field boss in the blade." Saburo explained. He swiped through his menu, and a shining white crystalline metal materialized in his hand. "That doesn't sound particularly difficult." Lis said as he handed her the metal. "There's one last thing." Saburo said. He scrolled through his inventory once more. Ailwen's katana, Dragon, appeared in his hand. "I'd like you to use this sword as the base for the new one, recycling it all."

Lisbeth swallowed hard. "Are you sure, Saburo?" Rena asked, clutching his arm. "I'm sure." The silver haired swordsman replied, smiling. "Normally, this wouldn't be so difficult, but with the specific parameters you required..." Lis began. Saburo put a hand on her shoulder. "You look like a talented smith." He said, nodding. "I'm sure you can do it."

Lis blushed a little before taking the katana and Draconium. "Ok, but I've never smelted Draconium before. The sword will take a couple days, at least, to create. And it'll be pricey." "Money is no problem." Saburo assured her. Lis smiled. "Ok, then, I'll get started on it right away!"

"Hey, I just got a message from Diabel." Rena said as they left Lisbeth's shop. She pressed the triangular orange notification. "He says to meet up with him and Egil just down the street." "Guess they got something worked out for the uniforms." Saburo said.

Standing proudly beside Egil in a fountain courtyard was Diabel, sporting a new uniform. The outfit consisted of a long-sleeves black shirt with white and red trim. The pants were pure black, with red stitching around the bottoms. Egil wore a similar uniform, but kept his shirt sleeveless, despite the chilly weather.

"Contrasts a bit with my all white thing." Saburo said, staring down at his white coat and light grey pants. "Well, we wanted to make sure that you stood out as the leader!" Diabel said, laughing. "It also makes him a target." Egil said gruffly. Diabel froze for a moment. "Ehehehe...guess I didn't think that through too well." "It's not a big deal." Saburo said smiling. "We don't have any enemies or anything."

"Well, there's always the future." Rena said. "I hate to be that guy. I do like the uniforms though." "Good." Egil said. "We already ordered everybody a set!" Diabel said. "I guess I can wear my coat over the uniform." Saburo said. "I see someone's trying to find their inner fashion diva." Natsumi said, walking up behind them with Agito. "These are the new uniforms?" The burly knight asked. "Yep!" Diabel said. "The Knights of Elysium have their colors!"

"Now that we have uniforms, the guild is official!" Rena said. "We can start taking on the front line!" "Not just yet," Saburo said. "We still have a lot of training to do before we head to the front line as a guild."

The rest of the day flew by in a rush. Snowball fights commenced, and the joy was widespread. For a brief moment in time, Saburo forgot the harsh realities of SAO. He felt as if he were living. His guild was his family.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The White Dragon

May 28, 2023 4:00 Front line Floor 35: Forest of Wandering

"Rena, Switch!"

Saburo jumped in, as the raven-haired fencer leapt back, bringing his modified long sword, Sol around in an arc. The blade was made from a diamond-like crystal, edged by metal from Ailwen's katana. The hilt was the same as Dragon, decorated with red diagonals. Saburo rolled underneath the Drunken Ape as it swung its club, creating a sizeable crater. "The primate was caught off guard as the silver swordsman seemed to disappear under its feet. Its mind finally processed that the puny human was behind it. The monster turned just in time to see the human raise its pointy silver stick, the blade glowing orange. "Apollo's Curse!" Saburo called out. His blade became searing hot and he dashed past the monster, slicing it with his blade. The ape shattered into prismatic light. Apollo's Curse was a skill that boosted the user's speed and attack strength, giving their sword a fire element buff, but drastically lowered their defense. "Good work Rena." Saburo said to his partner as she sheathed her rapier.

"We make a good team!" She said smiling. "We should head back to the HQ, now that we've located the boss room." Saburo nodded, pulling out a blue crystal from his pocket. Rena did the same, holding out her crystal. The both spoke in unison. "Teleport! Mishe!"

The Mishe teleport gate illuminated with blue light as Saburo and Rena appeared. The city of Mishe was a beautiful place. Stone archways and statues ornamented the city, fountains spurting water high in the air. Expansive blue skies enveloped the city. This was the home base of the Knights of Elysium. Earlier in the year, the guild had collected enough Cor to purchase a castle-like building as a base of operations.

"Did you two manage to locate the boss room?" Egil asked, waiting for them as they stepped out of the teleport gate. "It took a bit of time, but yes. The room was higher up the tower than we anticipated." Rena said. "The boss is a Spider-like monster called "Arak the Spinner." Saburo said. "It looked pretty nasty."

"We should head back to the castle and inform the rest of the guild." Saburo said. "We can begin coordinating an attack." Over the several months that the guild had been established, they had gained around thirty members, other than the original six. Egil was now the defensive coordinator, Diabel was the offensive coordinator, Agito worked as the equipment manager, Natsumi was a guild diplomat, forming alliances, and Rena was the vice commander.

"Before we get back to the castle, I should tell you, there is a guest waiting for you." Egil said. "Who is it?" Saburo asked as they headed towards the looming structure in the distance. "I think its best that you see yourself."

Waiting near the castle gate was Natsumi. Beside her stood a man wearing a suit of red and white armor. He was around six and a half feet tall and muscular. He had light brown hair that hung down his back in a ponytail. On his left arm he bore a white, cross shaped shield with a red cross emblem on it. Sheathed inside of his shield was a one handed long sword with a cross shaped hilt.

Natsumi was the first to speak as the approached. "Saburo, this is Heathcliff, leader of the Knights of the Blood." Heathcliff looked at the silver haired boy on front of him. He wore a white trench coat with orange trim. His shirt was black with red stitching and his pants matched. Two buckles from his coat crossed over his shirt, forming an 'X'. 'So, this is Saburo, The White Dragon. How interesting.'

Saburo extended his hand. "Welcome to the base of The Knights of Elysium, Heathcliff, what can I help you with?" Heathcliff spoke in a calm demeanor, his voice liquid smooth. "I'm here to propose an alliance between our guilds. We have word that you are planning and assault on the floor boss."

"We located the boss room earlier today." Saburo confirmed. "Your guild works fast." Heathcliff said giving a laugh. "The Knights of the Blood could use a strong ally like you. But, I'd like to test your strength myself." The knight said. "What are you suggesting?" Saburo asked, arching his eyebrow. "A duel, single combat." Heathcliff replied. "I've heard stories about The White Dragon, Saburo. About how he fights with fury, sword sending searing fire across the battle field."

"If I were to accept, where would this duel take place?" The silver swordsman asked. "Right here, right now." Was Heathcliff's simple reply. "I do have a little bit of time. And gaining an ally like the Knights of Blood wouldn't hurt." Saburo said. "Very well, I'll accept your challenge."

Saburo stood across the town plaza as the duel timer began to countdown. A large crowd had gathered, anticipating the battle to be a spectacular one. Saburo drew his sword, Sol and steeled himself. 'I'm Lvl.43. I should be able to handle whatever he throws at me.' He thought to himself. 'Heathcliff is a defensive player, so I can use Apollo's Curse without consequence. Even if I get attacked, my regen should handle it. I just have to keep him pinned with attacks.'

As the duel counter reached zero, Saburo blurred out of existence, moving so fast that he appeared to vanish in the crowd's eyes. "Fireburst!" Heathcliff looked up, just in time to see the projectile rocketing towards him. He raised his shield, blocking the attack, and rolled out of the way to dodge Saburo's falling strike. 'He's fast!' The teen thought to himself as he touched down. 'I have to be faster!' "Apollo's Curse!" Sol glowed white hot in his hands, as he ran at Heathcliff. Just as he got close, Saburo unleashed a barrage of rapid-fire strikes, bashing the knight's shield with his weapon. Heathcliff groaned under the onslaught of harsh blows. He thrust his shield forwards, knocking Saburo back and drew his own long sword, slashing the dragon across the face. 'At this rate, I'm not making a dent! I have to use 'that' skill.' Saburo thought as he wiped the blood from his cheek.

"Red Mirror!"

In Saburo's free hand, a copy of his sword appeared, made completely of red fire. Since the skill was a weapon summon of sorts, sword skills could be applied to the Pseudo-weapon, essentially letting him dual wield. Rena gasped from the sidelines as she saw the skill in action for the first time.

Saburo charged back at Heathcliff, pouring on speed as he hacked and slashed, trying to break through the knight's defenses.

Finally he saw an opening as Heathcliff's HP began to recede, nearing the yellow zone. "Gotcha!" Saburo whispered, moving in for the blow. As he brought his swords around, time seemed to slow down. Heathcliff moved with impossible speed and blocked with his shield. Saburo was caught completely off guard and Heathcliff brought his sword into Saburo's stomach, sending him flying.

A menu screen appeared in front of his face as he crashed into the ground. 'You lost.' Was the simple message.

'H-how?' Saburo thought to himself as he lay on the ground, astonished. 'There's no way he would be able to out speed me with that bulky shield and armor! It's not possible!'

Heathcliff walked over to Saburo and held a hand out. "I never expected such a powerful opponent." He said as Saburo took his hand, getting to his feet. "I could say the same." The silver swordsman replied. "I'd be more than happy ally with someone as powerful as you. What do you say we bring our guilds to the castle in the morning for a boss briefing?" Saburo proposed. "Sounds good to me." Heathcliff said, shaking the hand of his new ally.

Saburo walked through the quiet hallway of his castle, bathed in the orange glow of torchlight from the holsters on the walls. His brow furrowed in thought as he moved along. "I still can't believe that Heathcliff beat me..." He whispered as he reached his bedroom. The inside was fully furnished, the floor decorated with slabs of white marble.

The young swordsman collapsed on his bed, staring up at the canopy of red sheets above him. "I can accept that I lost but...something felt off in that duel. Either way, it'll be beneficial to have The Knights of the Blood on our side tomorrow."

May 29 10:00 AM

"Just breathe, Saburo!" Rena said, as The White Dragon stood just outside of the throne room. He was sweating and his hands quivered slightly. "There are so many people in there! What if I choke?" "Just focus on one part of the crowd. Focus on me. I'll stand in the back. No one will be able to tell who you're looking at." The raven-haired girl said, taking his hand, and giving a reassuring smile. "You'll do fine!"

The raid party, composed of Elysium and The Knights of the Blood, turned as the throne room doors opened. An unassuming teenager in a white coat stood beside his vice commander, a girl with black hair. "That's The White Dragon, Saburo and Shadow Dance, Rena!" One of the knights in red armor whispered to his friend. "I hear they're an unstoppable duo in combat." "Good thing we're on their side then!" His friend whispered.

Saburo walked down the middle of the crowd to his throne where Heathcliff stood. Rena stood in the back of the crowd as he nodded to Heathcliff. The red paladin spoke in cool demeanor. "As you all know, the floor boss has been located by The Knights of Elysium. Their leader, The White Dragon, has formed an alliance with the Knights of the Blood to arrange an assault on boss. Saburo, I'll leave the rest you."

The silver swordsman gave an imperceptible swallow before training his eyes on his vice commander in the back of the room. She gave a warm smile and gestures for him to speak. "Yesterday, my vice commander and I conducted a scout mission to locate the boss room. It is approximately 4/5 of the way up the tower. The boss is a grass element monster called Arak the Spinner. The guide book informs that he ensnares his enemies in a powerful web. Arak also carries a fast acting paralytic poison in its arsenal, so Antidote Crystals will be necessary. We have enough in stock to provide every player here with one. The boss will require heavy defense on our part. With our combined numbers, we should be able to put it out of commission with ease. The boss raid will commence at 1:00 PM today. I wish us all the best of luck. This concludes the briefing."

The crowd cheered, getting riled for the fight. "We'll crush that bug!" Someone in the audience shouted, bringing on another wave of battle cries.

"You did great! Couldn't even tell you were nervous!" Rena said as she walked up. "Well, your advice helped a lot." Saburo said, giving a sheepish smile. "We should get prepped for the battle. Notify Agito to issue out the higher tier weapons and armor to both guilds." Saburo said. Rena nodded. "Right."

The boss room door was a towering wooden structure, rotting in some places. Jagged lines were carved into the door, resembling claw marks. Small luminescent green fungi grew in compact clusters around the dirt floor of the room, providing dim light.

"Alright, Knights!" Saburo called, standing alongside the door with Heathcliff. "Let's get in there and kick ass!" A roar went up from the raid party as the raised their weapons. The White Dragon crossed his blade with Heathcliff's before turning to open the door.

The rotting wood was damp as he pressed against it, mushing under his fingers. Expecting to see a wide open room, Saburo was surprised when the door revealed a slightly forested grassy arena. Spider webs glinted in the trees. The same mushrooms as the ones outside dotted the floor, spilling sickly green light on the flora. Though the room was spacious, and somewhat open, there was no sign of the boss.

As the raid party advanced into the room a speckling of dirt sprinkled onto Saburo's head. "ABOVE US!" The words were barely out of his mouth before the boss descended. Four green health bars lit up and the name appeared. 'Arak the Spinner.'

The spider towered over their heads as it crashed into the ground. Fungus grew all over its brown and green body, crumbling off as it moved. Its legs were armored with hollowed out mossy logs. Eight pale green eyes blinked, as it stared down on the feast before it. Thick steaming saliva dribble from Arak's maw as it gave a twisted smile.

"Attack!" Saburo roared brandishing his blade at the boss. The raid party charged, weapons at the ready. Arak began to shed the mushrooms on its abdomen. As they hit the ground, legs sprouted from them. "Ads!" Diabel shouted as he sliced through one of the monsters. "Have a party break off and fight them!" Heathcliff ordered one of his knights as he drew his sword.

As Saburo hacked at one of the monster's legs, Rena ran alongside him. "Dragon Dance Shadow?" Saburo asked, cracking a smile. She nodded. Rena grabbed his hand and shouted. "Shadow Dance!"

Replicas of the two began to appear all around the boss, sending tongues of fire that lashed out at the spider-like monster. The raid party gave a unanimous gasp of awe at the duo. As Arak struggled to track the darting figures, one of its eyes noticed that one set was moving slightly faster than the others. The boss opened its mandibles and sprayed a stream of barbed web at the real pair.

Saburo was knocked off of his feet as the web hit him, encasing him in a cocoon, his head poking out of the end. Rena was a few feet away, struggling to break free. As Saburo began to wriggle, he felt sharp barbs press into him. 'The poison! It's in the web!'

"Rena! Don't struggle!" He called. But it was already too late. She froze in place as the venom took hold. Arak began to advance on her, his mandibles gnashing. 'I just have to reach my status crystal!' Saburo said. He could feel the item pressing into his side.

Arak stooped down near the raven-haired girl, brushing off the attacks of the raid party. Just as it opened its mouth to engulf her, there was a cry of fury from the other cocoon.

In its place, flaming wings extending from his back was Saburo, eyes blazing. With wicked speed, he ran at the boss, slicing clean through one of its legs and toppling the monster. Quickly, Saburo picked up Rena in his arms, flying her to safety under the cover of the trees. "I thought that was the end." She whimpered, sniffling. Saburo's heart wrenched at the sight of his strong-willed commander in this state. He used his searing sword to cut the cocoon open, taking care not to burn her. "I won't let anything happen to you." He promised, using an antidote crystal on her. "Stay here." Saburo said, as his wings dissipated. "I'm going to finish this."

As the boss dropped to its final health bar under the constant assault of the raid party, one person strode across the battlefield, whole body blazing with orange fire. Any of the boss minions were incinerated instantly as they neared him. Heathcliff's eyes widened as he saw Saburo. "T-that's one of the legendary Sword Skills! Burning Dragon!"

Saburo raised his sword and the aura of flames surrounding him began to spin, compressing into a blinding point of white light on the edge of the blade. "Burning Dragon!" The point of light rocketed from his sword and blasted Arak directly in the face. Instantly, the spider was surrounded by a vortex of white hot flames, blackening the grass around it. The whole ordeal took less than two seconds.

As the vortex cleared, a heap of gray ash was left in place of the boss. The final HP bar dropped to zero and the smoldering ash dissipated into fragments of light. The raid party roared victorious battle cries that morphed into a chant.

"DRAGON! DRAGON! DRAGON!"

"How many did we lose?" The White Dragon asked Heathcliff as the noise died down. "All party members are accounted for. We didn't lose a single man!" Heathcliff exclaimed, clapping him on the back. "Not one?!" Saburo said, astonished. "Not one. You and your Vice Commander damn near soloed the boss. We just kept it distracted for the most part." Saburo perked up at the words 'Vice Commander.'

Rena stood under the tree where Saburo had left her, her eyes still slightly red. "I'm sorry Rena." The silver swords man said. "I didn't think that would get out of hand so fast." "You saved my life." She said. "I won't ever forget that." She rushed into his arms in a hug. Hesitating just for a moment, Saburo returned the embrace.

As the raid party slowly filtered out of the boss room, the two guilds agreed to meet back up at the castle for a celebration feast in the dining hall.

9:00 PM

Goblets clashed together, spilling ale across the table as the Knights of Elysium and the Knights of the Blood celebrated together. Plates piled with delicious foods stretched down the table, filling the banquet hall with the aroma. The guilds chattered happily at the sheer success of the fight, the words 'dragon' and 'fire' begin used all around.

While the majority of the table shared warm smiles, Saburo picked at his food uninterestedly, his head resting on one hand. He stared at his vice commander as she laughed along with the rest of the guests. She seemed to be free of all worry and weariness. Just for a moment, their eyes met, and Rena saw Saburo gazing at her, his face a portrait of concern. He returned a smile to her, but she could tell it was forced.

Saburo was fast asleep in his bed, when the door to his room opened slowly, spilling in torchlight from the hallway. He sat up as Rena sat on the edge of his bed, clad in her pajamas.

"Something was bothering you at the feast." She said, her face barley illuminated. "Want to talk about it?" Saburo stared down at his blanket before speaking. "I-I was worried about you-" He stopped, reconsidering his words. "I was more than worried. When I saw the boss hovering over you, just for a brief moment, I thought it was the end. I felt like, if you died, I would die too." Rena gave a silent gasp at his words.

"I didn't want to lose my best friend, not again. I don't know if I would be able to endure the pain." He whispered. Ever so slowly, Rena reached out and grasped Saburo's face in her hands. "I don't want to die, Saburo." She whispered, starting to tear up. "Not in this game! I'm not ready to go yet! Promise me." She said staring at him intensely. "Anything." Saburo said, shocked at how vulnerable she appeared. "Promise me you'll protect me." She said, curling up in his arms. "Promise me that we'll beat this game." Saburo wrapped his arms around her and she kissed him. "I promise."

A/N: I'm not the greatest at writing romance scenes, but I did try my best. There's a question that a lot of people are probably going to ask about this chapter, so I'll just answer it now. No, they did not have sex. I was visiting family for a large portion of the day today. I was pretty sleepy when I got back, but I worked extra hard to bring you guys another chapter! Let's hope I can keep up the trend of daily chapters! Until next time!

-Dragon


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Smithing for Trouble

February 13, 2024 Floor 48: Lindus Current Front Line: Floor 56

Lizbeth leaned back, inspecting her handiwork as she examined her newly created sword. She flicked the blade, listening to the sharp metal ring. "I guess this is alright. I feel like I could have done better though." The bell on the front door of her shop rang, signaling that a customer had set down the sword on a shelf and gave a charming practice smile in a nearby mirror.

She opened the door to the shop and gave the smile again. "Welcome to Lizbeth's Smith Shop!"

The customer standing on the other side of the counter was none other than Saburo. He gave a friendly smile. "Been a while, eh Liz? The sword you made me works like a charm!" Just as Saburo finished speaking, he knocked off his feet as the smith leaped over the counter, wrapping him in a bear hug. "Saburo! I haven't seen you since Floor 22 was cleared!"

"I know, our guild has been busy clearing the front line." The silver knight said, getting to his feet. "I hear they call you The White Dragon, now!" Liz exclaimed, eyes filled with awe. "Yeah, it's a bit silly, really. Anyways, I have a request." Saburo said, as he inspected the swords in the glass cases that lined the shop.

"Sure! Just tell me!" Liz said, giving her prime business smile. "I'd like to get a custom sword made for my friend for Valentine's Day. It'd mean a lot to me if you could help. You're the number one smith in Aincrad." Saburo said. "What kind of sword are you looking for?" Liz asked, cocking her head. "I'm looking for a rapier. Something at least as durable as my sword, Sol. And it needs to be lightweight."

Liz put a finger to her cheek as she thought for a moment. She stooped below the counter and there was a sound of clanking metal. After a few moments, she reappeared, holding a rapier in her hand. The blade was long, thin, and tapered down to a fine point. "It's made from crystallite." She explained as Saburo took the sword, giving it a few test swings. "It's the best sword I've ever made, besides yours!" Liz said proudly.

After staring at the rapier for a few more seconds, Saburo set it back on the counter. "I'm sorry Liz, this just won't do." The smith was taken aback at the thought that her best work was considered subpar. "What do you mean, 'it won't do'?! That's one of the best rapiers in Aincrad!" She protested.

Saburo picked up the rapier, and drew his own sword, Sol. Very gently, he clashed the two blades together. A sliver of the rapier's blade fragmented off, landing on the counter. Liz flushed white, seeing the chip in the blade. "B-but...I made both of those swords! They should be equal in power!" "I've had a few buffs placed on my sword since we last met. It's stronger now." Saburo explained.

"Isn't there a stronger sword you can make?" Saburo asked as he set the rapier back down. "Maybe, but getting the materials won't be easy." Liz said, holding the rapier in her hands. "What do you mean?" Saburo asked. "There's rumors of a dragon on Floor 55 that drops a very strong rare metal ingot when defeated. But he's supposed to be incredibly hard!" She explained.

"I can defeat it." Saburo said, nodding confidently. "You'd need a master smith to accompany you, to collect the materials." Liz said, giving a thumbs up. "Alright then, let's go."

Floor 55: Grandum, East Mountain

"It's like a sauna here!" Liz moaned as they traveled along the mountain path. Scorched dead trees lined the dirt road, burned by magma that oozed from the black volcanic rock. Steam fizzed up through a micro-fissure in the ground, making Liz jump. "Relax, Liz." Saburo said chuckling. "We haven't even seen the dragon yet."

The peak of the mountain was almost flat. Large fiery red crystals grew from the ground, pulsating with light. "Are those what were after?" Saburo asked as he pointed to one of the red crystals. "Are you kidding?" Liz said, wiping a bit of sweat from her face. "Those things are used for cheap jewelry. The metal were looking for is black."

Saburo raised his hands in an 'excuse me' fashion. "Well, I don't see the-" A harsh roar shook the mountain top, shattering the crystals around them. The dragon flew from behind the mountain, temporarily eclipsing the sun. Two HP bars and its name hovered over its head. "Firebelch!" Liz cried, cowering. The dragon was easily the size of a floor boss. Its hide was made of mottled red and black scales, magma seeping out like festering wounds in some places. Its wings were a deep scarlet color, ragged holes torn in some places. A row of glimmering black crystals ran down its spine to the tip of its thrashing tail. "Well this sounds like it's going to be pleasant." Saburo muttered, drawing his sword. "Liz get behind me!" Firebelch opened its jaws, orange light blooming up from the back of its throat. Liz ducked for cover in the crystals, calling out to Saburo. "Look out!" But it was too late.

Liz watched as the dragon spewed a flood of red fire at Saburo, completely engulfing him. "No!" She shouted, letting out a sob.

"Whew, that one actually felt a bit toasty."

Liz's head snapped up at the voice. The fire cleared, revealing Saburo, standing completely unharmed. He had blocked the inferno with his sword. "Saburo!" She shouted in anger. "Be more careful! You scared me!" She pouted. The silver swordsman turned, giving a wink. "I've faced demons scarier than this one. Now then, I'll show you the strength of a REAL dragon!"

Saburo turned his sword and began spinning it, the blade glowing brighter as it increased in temperature. A ring of fire began to form around the spinning blade, creating heat wavers around The White Dragon. With a fierce cry, he stopped the blade, angling it at the monster.

Though the blade was halted, the ring of fire launched at the dragon. "Searing Circlet!" Saburo called as he released the attack. The ring of fire hit the dragon dead on, staggering it backwards. A full life bar dropped off of the dragon, but the beast began charging up another fire projectile.

Saburo was left exhausted after using the skill, unable to move for a few seconds. The flames were visible in the corner of the dragon's mouth. Gathering her bravery, Liz ran out, grabbing Saburo's hand as Firebelch launched the flaming missile. But the projectile wasn't aimed at the silver haired teenager. The dragon had turned its maw to the sky, shooting the ball of fire into the clouds.

"I didn't think that would happen." Saburo said, still panting as Liz dragged him into the cover of the red crystals. "What are you talking about? You thought you could one-shit a field boss?!" She scolded him. "No, the skill I used, Searing Circlet, it has a 20% chance of leaving the user exhausted. It's kind of a risky play, but it hits for massive damage." He explained as his breath returned to him.

"At least the dragon missed." Liz said staring up at the sky, as she clutched Saburo. "It didn't." Saburo said. "Let go, Liz." He walked back out into the center of the peak. "Those were homing projectiles. If they aren't destroyed, they'll hit their target, guaranteed."

The dragon began to launch fireballs at Saburo as the sky blazed orange above them. One by one, meteors began to rocket from the sky, flying towards the teenager.

Liz watched with amazement as Saburo twirled and twisted around the battlefield, slicing the meteors apart with his sword, not missing a single beat. As the meteors began to become more frequent, The White Dragon began redirecting them at Firebelch, much to the monster's surprise. He moved with inhuman speed as he blocked, destroyed, and redirected the projectiles, not a single one touching him.

Finally the dragon's HP dropped to zero and Firebelch toppled over, disintegrating. A menu screen appeared in front of Saburo. 'Bonus Item Received! 'Magmium Ingot has been added to your Inventory.' Saburo turned, surprised when he saw Liz staring at him in amazement.

"You ok, Liz?" He asked as he tossed her the ingot, a bar of black metal. "I've never seen anyone move like that! It's like you were completely aware of the battlefield! Like you were a part of it! That was amazing!" The smith cried, as she ran over to him. "Heh, thanks!" Saburo said, smiling. "We should get back to the shop."

Liz brought her smithing hammer down on the ingot with care, the clashing metals ringing through the air. Slowly the metal morphed and took shape, glowing bright purple as it did so. In its place was one of the most beautiful rapiers Saburo had ever seen. The hilt was encased by thin strips of metal, leaving just enough space for the wielder's hand. The cross section was inlaid with a red jewel that seemed to embody the heat of the mountain. The blade was midnight, black with a silver trail running up the middle, gleaming even in the dim light of the shop.

As the sword stopped glowing, a notification appeared next to Lizbeth. 'Smithing skill maxed, congratulations!' "How much will it be?" Saburo asked as he opened his menu, preparing to count the money. "Since it maxed my smithing skill, I'll consider it paid for. I'm charging you for the next one, though!" Liz said, crossing her arms. Saburo smiled and hugged the smith. "Thanks Liz, you're the best!" He left the shop before he noticed her face turning bright red.

Valentine's Day

Rena gave the rapier a test swing, feeling for its center of gravity. "It's perfect!" She said to Saburo as they stood in the town square of Lindus. She quickly scrolled through her inventory, checking the item name. "Black Vorpal...oooh! Spooky!" She joked, scrolling through her menu again.

A notification appeared in front of Saburo. 'Rena has challenged you to a duel!' "Gotta put it to the test right?" Rena said, pointing her new rapier at him. Saburo accepted the duel notification. "Alright, but I'm not holding back!" He said as the timer ticked down. "I wouldn't want it any other way." Rena said, smirking.

The timer reached and they rushed at each other, swords at the ready. "Dark Needle!" Rena called, her blade glowing purple. The rapier flashed, its movements untraceable to the untrained warrior. Saburo was barely able to keep up as Rena continued the speedy assault. She leapt back, using another sword skill. "Reaper Sashay!" Her blade extended to twice its normal length as she bore down on Saburo. He was only able to defend against her extended reach, as she held nothing back.

Liz crossed the busy streets of Lindus on her way to the items market. As she crossed the town square, she caught sight of a crowd forming a half circle around the duel. Saburo was battling a beautiful girl with black hair, who was wielding the brand new sword.

"So that's who the rapier was for." Liz said as she watched the duel. The two opponents seemed not only to be fighting, but engaging in a graceful dance. They moved in sync, as if they knew each other's thoughts before they became thoughts.

Liz smiled to herself as she watched the two of them. "Good luck, Saburo! I'll be rooting for you!"

A/N: This is a bit of a filler chapter for you all, while I collect my thoughts. I've been writing nonstop and my mind is a bit fried to say the very least. I might put out a chapter tomorrow or I may just take the day off. We'll see how it goes. Another note is that the mountain in the anime is called West Mountain, insinuating that there is an East Mountain. I just decided to switch them up! :3


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Dragon Tamer

October 10, 2024 Floor 61: Selmburg 5:00PM Front Line:Floor 73

Agito and Diabel discussed battle plans as they walked through the nearly empty streets of Selmburg. They were enroute to a rendezvous with the Knights of the Blood for a meeting on battle strategies. As they crossed the street, a shrill scream went up from nearby. From around the corner, a girl with brown pigtails ran straight into Agito. "Help me!" She cried. Her red eyes were wide with fear. A small blue dragon sat perched on her shoulder.

A group of men rounded the corner, weapons drawn. They were covered from head to toe in blue and sea green armor. "Seize the girl! She has the map locations!" One of them, with a trident shaped emblem on his breastplate, shouted. "Don't worry," Diabel said, patting the girls head. "We'll protect you." He drew his sword and angled it at the leader of the armored soldiers. "Who are you? And what business do you have with this girl?" He asked, stepping in front of her.

"We are Poseidon! That girl has valuable information that belongs to us! She has the location data for a field boss that we've been scouting for weeks!" The leader said, pointing an accusing finger at the girl. "And you were planning on just taking it from her?" Agito said, stepping beside Diabel. "That's not very nice." He narrowed his eyes as he hefted his axe.

"Who are you two?" The leader of Poseidon growled. "We're from the Knights of Elysium." One of the soldiers flinched. "I heard they're the most powerful guild! If their leader was here, we'd be cinders right now!" "Silence!" The guild leader snapped at the soldier. He turned back to Agito and Diabel. "Just give us the girl. There's no need for any conflict here."

"Sorry, pal. Our strict moral code doesn't allow this kind of thing." Diabel said. "Why don't you guys leave? There's no need for any conflict here." Agito said, giving a mocking grin. The guild boss drew his weapon, a claymore with a blue blade. "Then we'll take her."

Diabel raised his sword, and looked to Agito. "We'll each take half?" Agito looked at the twenty or so men that stood before them. "Oh c'mon! That's way too easy!" He complained, frowning. "Well what do we do? Wait for them to call backup?" Diabel asked as the guild leader began to grow frustrated with the banter.

"ENOUGH TALKING!" He shouted, charging at Diabel. "Diablo Point!" The blue haired knight shouted instantly. His blade glowed a sharp blue as he used the sword skill. He spun, dodging the charge and tapped the Poseidon leader on the back. The man was sent flying head over heels, finally stopping when he crashed into a stone wall.

"Anyone else?" Diabel asked, brandishing his sword. All at once, the soldiers rushed him. "Diabel switch!" Agito called, jumping in front of the blue haired knight. "Hammer Swing!" The burly man called out as his axe glowed green. With one fell swoop, he sent the men flying in all directions.

"Are you ok little girl?" Diable said turning to her. "My name's Silica." She said, wiping away her tears. "I'm 13." "My apologies. Why were those men after you?" He asked as he sheathed his weapon. "My pet Pina and I scouted a rare field boss's spawn. When defeated, he drops a dragon egg. I'm a beast tamer. That guild, Poseidon will do anything to obtain rare items. Even Player-Killing for rare map data. Their leader, Tidus, tried to PK me in the forest just outside of town. Pina and I barely made it to safety in time!"

"If this guild is player-killing just for rare items, we need to report this to the boss." Agito said, turning to Diabel. Silica jerked away at the phrase, 'the boss'. "You guys are from Elysium right? I've heard your boss incinerates players just for fun!" She cried, clutching the feathery blue dragon in her arms. "That's only a silly rumor spread by players that don't like him." Agito said, laughing. "He's a nice guy. If you're trying to get away from that guild, you'll be safe at our castle." Diabel said, giving a reassuring smile. Silica hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "Ok."

Floor 35: Mishe, Castle Elysium

As they walked through the hallways of Castle Elysium, the dragon tamer marveled at all of the decorative paintings that lined the walls. "The main room is just up ahead." Agito said, pointing to a set of large stone double-doors.

They pushed open the doors and Silica was shocked at what she saw inside. A massive throne room stretched out before her. Sitting in the throne was a teenager with silver hair, not much older than her. He was laughing as he conversed with a pretty girl with long black hair. "Saburo, we brought a guest. She was being hunted by a guild in Selmburg." Diabel said as they entered.

Saburo strode over to where they were, the girl following alongside him. "Hi there!" The silver haired teenager said, giving Silica a friendly smile. 'This is the person I've heard all those scary stories about?' She thought to herself. "I'm Saburo, and this is Rena." He said motioning to the raven-haired girl. "What's your name?"

"I'm Silica. This is my pet dragon, Pina." She said, motioning the small creature. "What happened to you back in Selmburg?" Saburo asked. "We don't take too kindly to player-killers here in The Knights of Elysium."

Silica retold the whole story as Saburo listened with interest. His brow furrowed with worry as she finished. "We're going to have to keep a close eye on this guild." He said, turning to Rena. "If they're killing players just for rare items, then we need to put a stop to it. There are few enough players trying to conquer the front line as it is." "Only around 500 or so now. So many have given up to this world." Agito said, looking at the ground. "Silica, why don't you join our guild?" Saburo offered. "We'll make sure you stay protected."

The brown haired girl gave a wide smile. "Ok! I think Pina would like that too!" She chimed happily. "She can take my room for tonight." Rena said. "I'll stay in Saburo's room."

Silica smiled, then her brow furrowed. "Can I ask a favor?" She asked, as Pina nipped at her ear playfully. "Sure thing!" Saburo said, patting her on the head. "When we scouted the field boss, it was sleeping on top of its nest, where the dragon egg is. We didn't wake it, but supposedly it's really strong. There's no way Pina and I could handle it ourselves." Silica said. "Could you help us?"

"We've handles plenty of field bosses as a guild. It should be no problem!" Saburo answered. "We can head out tomorrow." "We'll be at the strategy conference with Heathcliff." Diabel said. "We won't be able to make it, but Egil and Natsumi can go in our place." Agito said. "I'm sure you guys will do fine." Silica gave another big smile. "Thanks! Now Pina can have a friend to play with!"

"Here's the place!" Rena said, as she opened the door to her room. The inside was spacious, a table-side lamp lighting the place with a warm glow. The bed was covered in a cozy black comforter. "Wow! Its so nice at this castle!" Silica said, falling back on the bed. "Glad you like it!" Rena said, smiling. "We'll set out in the morning, so get a good night's sleep." Silica nodded, Pina curling up on the pillow beside her.

Floor 61: Insect Forest 11:00AM

The field boss's forest was a large one, similar to a dungeon maze. Exotic flora decorated the ground, and sunlight streamed through the leaves above. The main inhabitants of the forest were giant bug type monsters.

The raid-party consisted of Saburo, Rena, Egil, Natsumi, and Silica. The majority of the guild was attending the strategy conference in Grandum.

"The boss's area is just up ahead!" Silica said, as she scrolled across her map. Soon, they came into a wide grassy clearing. In the center of the clearing was a large nest, with a colossal bird sleeping on top of it. "A bird?" Rena whispered. "Why is its nest on the ground?" "Look closely." Egil said. "Its wings."

Upon closed inspection, one could see that the feathers on its wings were made of stone. "It's too heavy to fly. It must be a very fast runner then." Natsumi said. "We should stay on guard.

Saburo was about to reply, when suddenly he stopped in place. "What's wrong, Saburo?" Rena asked. "Someone else is here." He whispered.

The silver swordsman turned to the ring of trees lining the clearing. "Who's there?" He called, softly, trying not to wake the gigantic bird. A battalion of blue and green armored soldiers stepped from the tree line. "How perceptive of you." The leader said. "Who are you?!" Saburo hissed quietly. "My name's Tidus. The leader of Poseidon, the clan you crossed yesterday.

Silica ducked behind Egil. "How did you find us?" Saburo asked, drawing his sword. "An information broker gave us the boss location for a hefty price. We figured your guild would be showing up here so we decided to wait. I'll make that girl pay for making a spectacle of Poseidon!" Tidus hissed. He laughed at the look on Saburo's face. "You look like you wanna make a big light show, kid. What, did you think we were going to let your guild off the hook without a little old fashioned revenge? Only one clan is making it out of here alive."

"We can't engage them here! If we do it'll wake the bird!" Rena whispered. "We have to lead them away!" "Oh, were not going anywhere." Tidus said, drawing his sword. "Shields!" He called to the men behind him. Six or seven men unsheathed their swords and began banging on their shields, creating an unbearable noise. Saburo panicked. "No, stop! You're gonna wake the-"

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEE!" The cry of the bird split the air as it rose from its nest. 3 HP bars and its name tag hovered above its head. "Roc? Rena cried as the bird towered over them. "What's it going to be Dragon? You gonna stop the player-killers, or are you going to save your guild members?" Tidus sneered.

Saburo growled in frustration. "Let them go guys. For the moment, the boss is more important!" He turned around to see his guild battling the Roc as it darted around the clearing, launching feathers from its wings. But something was off. 'Where's Silica?!' He thought to himself.

Saburo whipped around and there she was. Tidus had his arm around her neck so she couldn't speak. Pina lay on the ground, unconscious. Tidus held up a blue crystal, smirking evilly. "Teleport! S-" Just as Saburo prepared to use his sonic hearing skill, a screech from the Roc broke his concentration.

Tidus vanished with Silica and the rest of his guild. "Dammit!" Saburo shouted, stomping the ground. The screech had come from the Roc as its last HP bar dropped to zero. "What happened to Silica?" Rena asked as she ran over. "Tidus took her! I wasn't able to get the location." Saburo said, scooping up the unconscious Pina. "Her pet!" Natsumi exclaimed! "Yea, it must have gotten knocked out when Silica was captured." Egil said. "No, I mean, pets teleport to their users if they go far enough right? That means Silica must still be close by if Pina is still here!" Natsumi explained. "She must still be in Selmburg!"

Saburo snapped to attention. "We have to go save her! If Tidus knocks her out, he can do a sleeping PK! He'll use her finger to press the duel button and then just keep attacking!"

Rena nodded! "Right, then! Let's go!"

Tidus stared at the unconscious girl in front of him. They were in the vacant town square of Selmburg. "So pretty. What a waste..." He raised his sword to strike the final blow.

Out of nowhere a voice gave a fierce shout. "Return Pass!" The guild leader turned just in time to see a greatsword flying directly at his face. He took a direct hit and was sent flying into a building for the second time in two days.

Natsumi caught her greatsword as it flew back to her hand. "Nice shot!" Rena cheered. Saburo ran over to Silica, using a red health crystal to fully revitalize her. She woke up slowly, as if she had been asleep. When she saw Saburo, she buried her face in his chest, crying. "I thought I was gonna die!" She sobbed. Saburo hugged his guild member. "We said we'd keep you safe, didn't we? I won't let guild members die on my hands."

Leaning up against the wall, Tidus was just beginning to stand, when he was knocked off his feet by a forceful punch from Saburo. The leader of Poseidon laughed hysterically. "What are you gonna do, Dragon?" He sneered. "You gonna kill me and become a red player? Then you'll be no better than us!"

Saburo's eyes blazed with fury at the man who would dare try and kill his friends. "Am I going to kill you?" He whispered. "The answer is no. I won't stoop to the level of scum like you. Egil!" He called to his guild member. The powerful warrior walked over. "See that this man is jailed in Selmburg prison. I want him locked up for good."

Tidus gave another fit of hysterical laughs. "You think I'm going to go willin-" A swift blow from The White Dragon knocked him unconscious. "You did the right thing, Saburo." Egil said, hefting the man over his shoulder as if he were a sack of flour. Saburo gave a deep sigh of exhaustion. "I know."

12:00AM

The Knights of Elysium all stood on the balcony of the castle, stars shining above as they gathered around the glowing red oblong object. "I can't believe it's hatching already!" Silica exclaimed, clapping her hands together in excitement. The dragon egg, rocked back and forth several times before it illuminated with a warm red light.

When the light cleared, a dragon, slightly smaller than Pina, with scarlet scales yawned as it stretched out its new wings. "What are you gonna name her?" Rena asked as she caressed the little lizard's head. "How about, Sunscale?" Saburo suggested. "It's perfect!" Silica exclaimed, jumping for joy. Pina straddled up to the newly hatched dragon, inspecting it. Within moments, the two began to chase each other around the balcony, lighting up the night.

"Thanks, Saburo." Silica said, smiling at her guild leader. "I knew you'd come through!" The silver swordsman returned the smile. "I'll put my family before my own life. Whatever keeps you guys safe is worth it to me."

12:45AM

Rena stopped Saburo as he walked to his room. "The front line just keeps getting crazier, doesn't it?" She asked, as they stood in the dim torchlight. "Yea, I could use a break. Just to decompress for a while." Saburo said, staring at his combat partner.

She seemed to carry a nearly imperceptible glow in the soft torchlight. She was the person who meant everything to him. "Rena...we should take a break...just get away for a while." Saburo said, suddenly getting serious. "What do you mean?" The raven-haired girl asked, noticing the change in his voice.

Saburo took her hand. "Rena lets..." He took a moment to work up the courage. He blurted it out in a rush of love-filled words. "Let's get married!"

An uncontrollable smiled bloomed on her face as he spoke the words. Tears of joy formed in the corners of her eyes as she rushed in to hug him. "Yes."

A/N: The Tidus in this is in no way related to the Tidus from FFX. This isn't a crossover. Just wanted to clarify.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Home

October 15, 2024 Floor 22 Current Front Line: Floor 74

10:00AM

Saburo and Rena both gave a deep sigh of content as they stared up at their new house. Their wedding rings glinted in the sunlight as they held hands. The house was a large spruce log cabin with a light speckling of trees around it. A cobblestone walkway led up to the porch that wrapped around the cabin.

"It's so pretty here!" Rena exclaimed as she admired the scenery from one of the balcony porch railings. The cabin provided a view of the rolling hillsides, vivid green forests, snowcapped mountains and sparkling lakes of Floor 22. The floor was well known for its low monster population.

"It took all over our money, but as long as I'm here with you, I'm happy." Saburo said as he stood beside her, taking in the landscape. "It's hard to believe this is a virtual world. It feels like I've lived here all my life. I guess spending two years in any place can do that to a person." He said, giving a bittersweet smile.

"We'll get home soon enough." Rena said, brushing her hair out of her face as a soft gale blew past them. "Even with fewer players clearing the front line, those players have become extremely powerful. The floor clearing rate has increased." Saburo nodded. "I'll be excited when we can finally meet in the other world."

"Rena Yoshida." The raven-haired girl said quietly. "Hmm?" Saburo asked. "My real name is Rena Yoshida. I guess...it's been so long that I'd nearly forgotten it." "Kobayashi Saburo. Now we can find each other when we wake up. It shouldn't be too hard, since our bodies are in hospitals." Saburo said. "Let's find each other as soon as we wake up!"

"So, what should we do? It's still pretty early in the morning." Rena said as she stretched. "We can explore the floor. I've heard there are lots of cool sightseeing places around!" Saburo vaulted off the balcony, landing on his feet. "C'mon down! I'll catch you!" Rena hopped down into his waiting arms.

11:00AM

As they walked along the path to the lake, Saburo caught sight of a middle aged mans, sitting on a dock and fishing in the lake. He gave a friendly wave. "Hey, Saburo, we should talk to him." Rena suggested as they waved back to the man. "Maybe he can give us some fishing tips and tell us about the area!"

"Hey there, newcomers!" He said, pulling back his rod as they approached. A medium-sized catfish-like monster flopped uselessly on the end of his rod. "Hey, we were wondering if you could tell us about the area." Saburo said as the man put the fish into his inventory. "Sure thing!" He replied happily.

"There's the Three Lakes, Hallowed Hills, The Overgrown forest and..." The man trailed off as his brow wrinkled. "What is it?" Rena asked, seeing his expression change. "Say, why do you two want to know what's around anyways?" The fisherman asked. "Well, we just got married and moved here." Saburo explained. "What was that last place you were going to tell us about?" "It's not spoken about too often, but you two seem to be able to handle yourselves." The fisherman said. "It's called The Forested Graveyard." Rena cringed a little bit. "That sounds creepy!"

"Aye, it's more than creepy." The fisherman said, placing another piece of bait on his hook. He cast his rod back over the lake. "There are rumors that ghosts roam that forest, and attack players." He said, ominously.

"You mean astral-type monsters?" Saburo asked, as Rena clutched his arm. "No, mean Ghosts. They say all the spirits of dead monsters gather in that place, and come to life at night. That's story anyways." The fisherman said. "Don't you two go doing anything foolish, though."

11:20AM

"But, Saburo, he said not to go to the graveyard! I feel like it's a bad idea!" Rena protested as her husband scrolled across his map. "Don't worry, Rena." He said, giving a warm smile. "You know I'll protect you no matter what. The forest is just up ahead."

"At least carry me on your back!" She said as they stopped just outside the forest. "Huh, why?" Saburo asked, turning to her. "I don't wanna step on anyone's grave!" She said, searching the ground around her. "Your STR parameter should make it easy."

"Ok, I guess." Saburo said reluctantly as he stooped down. Rena climbed onto his back and he lifted her into the air. "Keep a lookout for any ghosts!" Saburo said jokingly. Rena flushed white and flicked him in the head. "Don't scare me like that!"

The trees in The Forested Graveyard were towering evergreens, their expansive canopies blocking the majority of sunlight from the forest floor. A thin layer of fog hovered close to the ground, creating an eerie atmosphere. As big as the forest was, not a single bird sang from the trees. The silence was like a tangible weight.

"It's so peaceful here." Saburo said, breaking the silence as they walked along. As Rena scanned the scenery from her perch on Saburo's shoulders, she caught sight of something off the side of the path ahead. Just for a moment, a white cloth fluttered between two trees and disappeared. She gulped. 'I don't want Saburo to think I'm a big scaredy cat! I just won't say anything.' She thought to herself.

They walked a little further down the path, and the white shape appeared again. A little girl in a white dressed stepped from between the trees and looked directly at Rena.

Saburo jumped as his wife screamed, making the both of them fall to the ground in a heap. "What is it Rena?!" He asked, voice full of concern as she clung to him. "I-I saw a ghost!" Rena said, her knees quaking together. "Are you sure?!" He asked. Rena simply pointed down the path in response, her hand shaking.

Saburo turned to see the little girl standing maybe 20 yards away. His heart skipped a beat and his hair stood on end, goose bumps forming on his arms. "No way..." he breathed quietly. The ghost-girl took one step towards them, and then collapsed on the ground. "What?" Rena said shakily.

Saburo got to his feet. "That's not a ghost!" He ran over to the little girl. Rena followed behind him. The little girl had white-blonde hair and blue eyes that were half open. She looked to be around nine or ten, and was barefoot. As Saburo lifted her in his arms, she fell unconscious. "A player?" Rena stuttered. "But she's so young! What was she doing all the way out here?" "That's odd..." Saburo mumbled. "What do you mean?" Rena asked. "She doesn't have a player-cursor. And she isn't an NPC or quest giver." Saburo said, as he looked at the girl. "We should take her back to the cabin until she wakes up."

9:00PM

Rena stared at the sleeping girl in the guest bed as Saburo slept beside her. 'Has she been alone in this game for two years?' Rena thought to herself. 'All this time?' Careful not to wake Saburo, she climbed out of bed and slipped into the guest bed beside the girl. Rena brushed her bright blonde hair out of her face before she fell asleep.

October 16 7:00AM

Rena woke and rubbed her eyes, sitting up. She turned over, preparing to catch a few more Z's. She was met by a pair of wide blue eyes staring back at her. Rena flailed backwards and fell out of bed.

As she hit the floor, the events of yesterday flashed through her mind. "Saburo, wake up!" She called as she leaned back to the bedside. Saburo yawned and stretched lazily as he sat up. As soon as he saw the little girl he snapped to attention. He hurried over to the bed beside Rena.

"Do you remember what happened to you in the forest?" Rena asked the girl. She slowly sat up in the bed, before nodding her head no. Rena and Saburo exchanged glances of concern. "Do you remember your name? Can you tell us?"

"...Vivi...my name is...Vivi." The girl said in a quiet voice. "Vivi-chan? That's a pretty name." Rena said, giving a warm smile. "I'm Rena. This is Saburo. We found you in the woods." Vivi looked to both of them slowly. "Eena? Sabro?" She muttered, still looking dazed. "Sa-bu-ro." Rena repeated, enunciated clearly. "Re-na." Vivi said the words over again, a bit clearer.

"Vivi-chan, do you remember how you got to the forest? You were all alone when we found you. Do you have parents that might be looking for you?" Saburo asked. "I can't remember..." Vivi said quietly. "I can't remember anything..." "This is pretty serious." Saburo said. "She may have friends or family looking for her that we don't know about. Her mom or dad may be panicking." At the word 'dad' Vivi turned to Saburo. "Daddy." She said, meeting his eyes. She turned to Rena. "Mommy."

Rena was surprised at her words and she recoiled visibly. Vivi cringed as if she'd done something wrong. Rena's surprised expression gave way to a soft smile. "That's right, Vivi, I'm your mommy." Vivi's face bloomed with happiness. "Mommy!" She cried happily, hugging Rena. Vivi turned to Saburo. "Daddy!" She wrapped him in a hug. "You must be hungry after sleeping." Saburo said, returning the embrace. "Let's get some breakfast."

7:30AM

Rena slid the last of the pancakes onto a plate, setting it in front of Vivi. "It smells so good, Mommy!" Vivi said excitedly as Rena drizzled syrup over the pancakes. Vivi scooped one of the pancakes up with her fork and ate it. "It's the best!" She exclaimed happily.

Vivi fell asleep in one of the cushiony arm chairs shortly after she was done eating. "What do you think, Saburo?" Rena asked as she looked at the sleeping girl. "Her memories seem to be completely gone. But, even more serious, is the fact that her mental state seems to have regressed to that of a toddler." He said, brow furrowing in concern. "What...what should we do, Saburo?" Rena asked, voice laden with worry. "I think we should take care of her until she regains her memories. She certainly can't fend for herself in the state that she's in."

"They may need us again on the front lines, but I think something like this takes priority. But the longer we take care of her, the longer it'll take to get her out of the game." Saburo said. "It's a tough spot to be put in. Let's do what we can for now. We should check the town of beginnings for her parents or friends."

Rena looked at the coffee table. "I-I..." She mumbled. Saburo sat beside her, pulling her in close. "I don't want to say farewell, either. She hasn't been with us long, but she makes this feel like a real family." He said as he looked at the sleeping girl. "If she does have a family or guardian, they're probably really worried. When she wakes up, we'll head to the town of beginnings. You may want to bring some gear. That place is Army territory, so we should stay frosty." Vivi mumbled in her sleep. "Mommy...Daddy..." She turned over in the armchair, a smile forming on her sleeping face.

9:30AM

Blue light lit up the Town of Beginnings' teleport gate as the travelers arrived. Saburo carried Vivi on his back. "I can't even remember the last time I was here." Rena said as she looked around at the town. Just for a moment, Saburo's mind flashed back to that fateful day when they were sealed in the game.

"Vivi, do any of these buildings look familiar?" He asked. Vivi looked around at the stone structures around them. "I can't remember..." She said, shaking her head. "Well, this is a pretty large town." Rena began. "We should start searching in the marketplace. I'm sure we'll find out something there."

As they walked through the central market, quiet filled the air. There were only a couple of salesmen and players in the whole place. "Hey, Rena, how many players do you think are in the area?" Saburo asked as Vivi played with his silvery hair. "There are still around 6,000 players alive in SAO. Including the Aincrad Liberation Force, thirty percent or so should still be in the Town of Beginnings. Somewhere around two thousand, I suppose." She said, counting on her fingers. "Then, shouldn't there be more people around here?" Saburo asked, as they walked through the nearly vacant market. "You're right. It doesn't make much sense." Rena said.

A sharp scream emanated from a nearby alley. "Give back the children!" "Rena." Saburo said, looking to his wife. "Right." They dashed down the alley.

A squad of Liberation officers was standing in front of a woman in a blue dress. "Give them back!" She repeated, stomping her foot. A group of three children were huddled together behind the officers. "You make it sound like we're criminals." One of the officers said, laughing. "Yea, we're just showing the kids, here, how things work in Aincrad." Another officer said, motioning to the scared children. "Citizens of Aincrad have a duty to pay taxes." The lead officer said.

"Gin! Kain! Mina!" The nurse called to her children. "Are you all okay?" An officer stepped i front of the nurse, blocking her view of the children. "Sensei! Save us!" One of the children called from behind the soldiers. "Forget what I said about the money!" The nurse said. "Give it all to them!"

"That won't be necessary." A voice called from down the alley. Everyone turned to see a black haired girl and a silver haired boy, carrying a girl on his back, walking down the alley. "Who the heck are you guys?" One of the soldiers called. The man standing beside him flinched at the sight of the strangers. "That's The White Dragon, and Shadow Dance Rena! They showed us up two years ago, in Torubana town! Back then, they were nobodies!"

"Are you going to interfere with the Army's mission?" The lead officer asked, stepping forwards. "You do know, the penalty is death!" He drew his sword, angling it at Saburo and Vivi. The little girl cowered down behind her father.

Rena stepped forwards, removing her rapier from her inventory. "Saburo, keep Vivi safe. I'll handle these goons."

She struck the lead officer directly in the chest with her rapier, sending him hurtling backwards. "You won't die, no matter how many times I strike you." Rena said, walking to where the lead officer lay on the ground. "But, after all this time in the game, your mind is accustomed to believing you might die at any moment." She said quietly. "Every time I strike you, your brain experiences the fear of death. Now then, just how terrified should I leave you?" Rena asked, pointing her sword at the man's throat.

One of the officers turned and ran, the rest of the gang following suit. Rena sheathed her rapier and gave a sigh, before turning around to the children. They stood with shocked expressions. Finally, one boy spoke. "Wow! That was so cool, Miss!" They ran up to Rena, faces filled with awe. "I've never seen anything like that before!"

"Mommy's so strong!" Vivi exclaimed as she watched Rena smile sheepishly at the kids. "Yeah, she is." Saburo agreed as he and Vivi stood behind them. The clock tower bell rang, breaking everyone's attention.

Vivi looked to the sky, her eyes glazed over. "Everyone...everyone's hearts..." She muttered. "Vivi?" Saburo said, looking back at her. "Vivi-chan?" Rena called, seeing her daughter acting so unnatural. "Vivi, what's the matter?" Saburo asked, concerned. "Everyone's hearts..." Vivi muttered again. "Vivi, did you remember something?" Rena asked as she ran over. Vivi buried her face in Saburo shoulder. "The darkness..." She whimpered. "I was alone in the darkness..."

Suddenly, Vivi eyes snapped open wide, and she let out a piercing scream. The air around them seemed to crackle with unseen electricity, melding with her scream. Rena caught Vivi as she fell from Saburo's back. Vivi clutched Rena as she sobbed. "Mommy! Don't let the darkness take me back. I'm scared, Mommy..."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Vivi's Heart

October 17, 2024 12:30PM

Children laughed and conversed happily in the halls of the day-care as they ate lunch, filling the air with a joyous ruckus. "I've never seen so many young players in one place..." Rena said as she marveled at the work that was put into the daycare. She sat at a round wooden table with Vivi, Sasha, and Saburo. "It like this pretty often." The day-care lady, Sasha said, adjusting her glasses. "Is Vivi okay?" She asked looking at the little blonde girl. "She got a good night's sleep. You can tell its helped out." Saburo said, patting the girl on the head. Vivi sat beside him, eating a sandwich. She seemed to be back to normal, despite the events of the previous day. "Has she ever been like that before?" Sasha asked, before sipping her tea. "We're not sure. When we found her, she was wandering the forest on Floor 22." Rena explained. "It seems like she's lost all of her memories." Saburo added. "Oh, my." Sasha said quietly. "We came to the Town of Beginnings to see if anyone might recognize her. So far we've haven't caught any leads. Any ideas?" Rena asked Sasha. "I'm almost certain she isn't of the kids from the Town of Beginnings." Sasha replied. "When the game first started, most of the children suffered horrible psychological trauma. I wanted to do something to help put them at ease, so I took them in at this church. Everyday, I walk around this town to see if anyone needs help. But, I've never seen anyone like her before." Sasha explained. They were interrupted as the knocker on the front door banged against the hard wood.

A young woman with gray hair and light blue eyes stood at the door to the church. She had bangs that reached down to her chest, and she wore a navy-colored uniform. "Hello. I am Yulier." She said in a stern voice as she bowed. "Aren't you with the Army?" Sasha asked, her face hardening. "Are you here to complain about what happened yesterday?" Saburo asked. "Not at all." Yulier said, shaking her head. "It's the reverse. I came to thank you." Everyone gave a confused expression. "I came with a request." Yulier explained. "A request?"

Vivi was beginning to nod off as they sat around the table with Yulier. "We...No the guild leader, Thinker, never wanted it to become a dictatorial organization like it's become." Yulier began. "We wanted to share information and food evenly among as many players as possible."

"But, your organization became too large to manage efficiently." Saburo finished. "Yes, there were multiple power struggles within the liberation. Eventually, a man named Kibaou ended up with great deal of power." Yulier explained. Saburo flashed back to the obnoxious man that he first met at the first floor boss meeting. "Kibaou and his faction began monopolizing all the best monster spawn points, and have even began extortion players for taxes. Many people became upset with his lack of interest for clearing the game. He sent his highest level players available to the front line to quiet them. His plan failed and he ended up wiping out a large number of Army members. Needless to say, he took a lot of heat for his actions." Yulier continued.

"Thinker was just about ready to exclude him from the guild, but in Kibaou's desperation, he set a trap for Thinker." Yulier's face became distorted with worry. "Thinker's been stranded, deep within a dungeon!" A unanimous gasp went up from the table. "Does he have a teleport crystal?" Rena asked. "He's unarmed and has no weapons. He was too trusting of Kibaou. It's been three days."

"He's been stranded in a dungeon with no equipment for three days?!" Saburo exclaimed. "It's a very high level dungeon. I fear for his safety." Yulier began. "So, you want us to head a rescue mission?" Rena asked. "

"As his second in command, it's my responsibility, but my level is too low to be of any use." Yulier explained. "And Kibaou is using his influence to prevent the rest of the army from helping. I'd heard about two incredibly high level players that had come to theTown of Beginnings." Yulier said. "So I'm asking for your help! Saburo! Rena! Please come to the dungeon to save Thinker with me!"

Saburo and Rena glances. "I'd like to help, if we are able." Saburo said, nodding. "How can we know that you're telling the truth though?" Rena asked. "I know that I'm asking for a lot!" Yulier cried, tearing up. "But Thinker and I are partners, just like you two! Think about how one of you would feel if the other died! That's how I feel!" Yulier sobbed.

"I believe her, Mommy." Vivi said, staring up at Rena with her wide blue eyes. "You can tell, Vivi?" Saburo asked, looking at the little girl. She nodded, smiling. "Yeah. I can't explain why...but I know!"

"I'd rather have regrets about helping than I would about not helping." Saburo said, patting his daughter on the head. "We'll do our best to assist you, Yulier." "Thank you!" Yulier said, bowing as tears formed in her eyes.

Floor 1: Black Iron Castle

The entrance to the dungeon was at the back of a large room that ran underneath the Town of Beginnings. Wide stone pillars ran from the stone-brick floor to the curving ceiling. "Its surprising that something like this exists under the Town of Beginnings!" Saburo said as Vivi adjusted her position on his back. "The monsters that spawn here have levels around the sixties. If any players found this place early-game, they may have perished." Yulier said, pointing. "The entrance to the dungeon is just ahead.

A dark tunnel stretched into one of the walls of the open room. Eerie blue torchlight shone from within, providing a source of dim light. Yulier opened her map. "Thinker hasn't moved from this spot. He must be in a safe area." She said, indicating. "If we can get to him, we can use a teleport crystal to get him out safely." Saburo nodded. "Right then, let's keep going!"

After descending several floors of stairs in the dungeon, the rescue party found themselves in another long hallway. Saburo had cleared the majority of the monsters and Rena carried a sleeping Vivi on her back. A small square of light was visible at the end of the corridor.

"That must be the safe zone!" Yulier exclaimed. Saburo activated his detection skill. "There's one player inside." He said, as his eyes lit up orange. "Thinker!" Yulier called out, running down the corridor towards the room. Saburo and Rena quickly followed after her.

As they drew nearer to the light, they could see an outline of a tall, wiry man. He was waving his hands frantically and shouting. Soon, his voice came into focus. "Don't come! It's a trap!"

As Yulier ran ahead, a nametag appeared in the hallway above her. 'The Fatal Scythe'. "Yulier!" Saburo called. He sped up and tackled the woman out of the way. A split second later, a massive scythe came crashing down from the wall, sending sparks along the floor. Purple flames cut off the hallway, blocking them from returning. Lighting fast, a cloaked figure dashed across the hallway, ducking in the shadows.

"Yulier, get to the safe area with Vivi. Saburo and I will handle this!" Yulier grabbed the little girl's hand, pulling her along as Saburo tried to track the darting shadow. As Rena stood beside the silver-haired swordsman, the monster revealed itself.

A skeletal face resided under its black hood, grinning wickedly. The edges of its cloak were tattered and ragged. In one bony hand, it carried the razor-edged scythe that had almost ended Yulier. The boss rose tall above Saburo and Rena, hovering off of the ground.

"Rena, use a teleport crystal to get Vivi and the others out of here." Saburo instructed, unsheathing his sword. "I can't even identify its level. I'll buy time, just get everyone to safety." Rena eye's widened at his words. She knew he had no special skill that could get them out of this situation. "You can't face it alone!" She said, drawing her own weapon. "Just run! I'll catch up with you!" Rena growled in frustration before turning and dashing to the safe area.

The skeletal boss raised its weapon, bringing it down one Saburo's blade. The swordsman was sent flying, crashing against a stone wall. He grunted as half of his life bar depleted from the single blow. 'It's too powerful! If it hits me again, I'll die!' Saburo thought, struggling to pick himself up off the floor. The Fatal Scythe closed in, raising its weapon again. The monster brought its scythe down on Saburo mercilessly, making the warrior cry out. His life bar drained down to a sliver of red, barely visible.

The Fatal Scythe prepared for the finishing blow, its weapon glowing dark maroon. "Vivi, come back!" The cry stopped the monster, mid-strike. The little blonde girl had walked out of the safe area just as Rena used the teleport crystal. She lunged out of the light just in time to be saved from teleporting. The raven-haired girl landed on the floor hard. She watched as her daughter walked out in front of Saburo, her eyes wide with fear.

Vivi's face remained emotionless as she stood in front of Saburo. "Vivi, move!" Saburo cried, trying to find the strength to stand, but he had none. The boss twirled its scythe before bringing it down on the girl, singing through the air. "I'll protect you, mommy,daddy." Vivi said.

The scythe came down, and was stopped dead as Vivi blocked the blade with her bare hands, flinging the boss backwards. Saburo gave a sharp intake of breath as he saw the words above his daughter's head. "I-Immortal...object..." He read softly.

Vivi slowly floated off of the ground, her white-blonde hair flowing around her as she held her hand out. The little girl was surrounded in a vortex of flames, burning white-hot like a miniature star. When the fire cleared, she was holding a flaming greatsword, easily twice the size of her body. She looked like a seraph as she she wielded the massive weapon.

As the boss was still staggering from her initial blow, she flew at the monster, cleaving it in two with her burning weapon. The Fatal Scythe exploded in a shower of luminescent sparks that rained down onto the floor.

Vivi slowly floated back down to the ground as Rena and Saburo stood. "Vivi..." Rena said softly, extending a hand towards the little girl. "Daddy, Mommy, I remember everything now." Vivi said, turning to face them with a smile.

They stood inside of the safe area, a room with glowing white walls. A single black slab of marble rested in the middle of the room, with Vivi sitting on top of it. "Saburo, Rena, this world, Sword Art Online, is controlled by a single immense system." Vivi said, calling her parents by their true names for the first time.

"The system is called Cardinal. It was designed to operate without any human intervention. It regulates the balance of SAO according to its own discretion. From monster and NPC AI, to drop rates and money. Everything is controlled by the processes that the Cardinal Program executes. Even the psychological care of players. The Mental Health and Counseling Program, Also known as Virtual Intelligence Visual Interface, was designed to comfort players under mental stress. That's me." The little girl said, giving a small smile. "Vivi."

Rena and Saburo's faces displayed a mixture of disbelief and confusion. "A program?" Saburo whispered. "No, an AI." He corrected himself. "I was given the ability to emulate emotion." Vivi explained. "This was to help put players at ease with me, and help me to appear more human." A sparkling tear rolled down Vivi's cheek. "I'm a fake...Every bit of me. Even these tears. I'm sorry Rena, Saburo..."

"Vivi...you had amnseia. There was no way you could have known." Saburo said reassuringly. "But, how can that happen to an AI?" Rena asked. Vivi looked down at the cold white floor. "Two years ago, on the day of the launch, for reasons I never understood, Cardinal forbade me from interacting with any of the other players. I was forced to do nothing but continue to monitor the players' mental states." Vivi explained.

"It was utterly horrible. I was forced to watch every suicide, every player that turned on their friends. Terror, rage, despair. People were overcome by negative feelings. Some of them went completely insane." She whispered in a shaky voice. "Normally, i would have gone to help immediately. But Cardinal cut me off from them. Gradually, errors occurred within my execution programming, and I fell apart. I was all alone in the tangle of darkness that the system had become. But one day, I saw two players whose mental parameters were very different from the rest. They weren't filled with the hopelessness so many others were."

"Joy, peace...but it was more than that. Their hearts were filled with love and hope." Vivi said. "I wandered through the field, hoping to get as close to you as I could." "That's why you were in the 22 Floor forest?" Rena asked. "Yes. Saburo, Rena, I've always wanted to meet you. It's strange isn't it? It should be impossible for me to think like that." Vivi whispered. Tears ran freely down her face now as she spoke. "I'm just a program..."

"Vivi..." Rena said, crossing her hands over her heart. "You have true intelligence, don't you?" The little girl shook her head, no. "I don't know." She muttered. "I don't know what's happened to me." Saburo walked over, sitting beside Rena and wrapping an arm around her. "You aren't just a program that the system controls anymore. You should be able to say what you want. What do you want?"

Vivi wiped her eyes before speaking. "I...I...I want to stay with you forever...Daddy, Mommy!" Tears began to well up in Rena's eyes before she rushed in, wrapping Vivi in a loving embrace. "Together...We'll be a family together, Vivi!" She said, her voice shaky. "No matter what, you'll always be our child." Saburo affirmed.

There was a moment of silence before Vivi spoke. "It's too late." She whispered. "Too late?" Rena said, staring at her daughter. Vivi stood, and looked at the black slab of marble that rested in the center of the white room. "This consolde grants Game Masters emergency access to the system." She place her hand on the slab, and a glowing blue keyboard appeared, surrounded by a grid of blue lines. "I used it to delete that monster that attacked us." Vivi explained. "But now it's running a check on my program. Since I've disobeyed Cardinal's orders, the system considers me a foreign object." She explained, turning her head to her parents. "I'll be deleted soon."

"No..." Saburo whispered, taking Vivi's hand. "Can't we do something?" He asked. Vivi smiled and looked up. "Daddy, Mommy, thank you. This is goodbye." "No, you can't go!" Rena cried hugging Vivi. "We've just started...We've just started living together..." The girl began to glow with a bright light as particles drifted up from her body. "No, Vivi, don't go!" Saburo cried, squeezing her hand tight. "Everyone smiles when they're with you." Vivi said to her parents. "Please...From now on, go and help people in my place. Share your happiness with them."

Rena held her daughter even tighter, crying as she pleaded. "No...No! I can't smile without you..." "Smile, Mommy."

Rena felt the solid body that was wrapped in her arms dissipate all at once. Her wet tears splashed onto the floor and she fell to her knees as her daughter disappeared. Golden particles swirled around her, as she let out a cry of pure heartbrokenness. Saburo felt warm liquid flow down his cheeks as his brow furrowed in anger.

He turned his head upwards. "Cardinal! No, Kayaba! You WILL pay for this!" He shouted, his fists quaking with rage. He looked to the blue keyboard on the Game Master console. The silver-haired swordsman began typing furiously, as a holographic monitor appeared above the keyboard. "Don't think things will always go the way you want them to!" He growled as he typed. Rena looked up weakly as he entered the commands. "Saburo, what are you..."

"I can still probably use this console to access the system." He said as lines of computer script scrolled across the monitor. A red progress bar appeared on the screen, filling quickly. As it reached full, a flash of light emitted from the console and Saburo was thrown backwards.

"Saburo!" Rena called rushing to his side. "Are you okay?" The White Dragon held his hand out, and dropped a small item into Rena's hand. A small heart-shaped, diamond-like gem glittered in her palm. "What's this?" She asked, examining the gem. "Before Vivi's admin credentials were denied, I split off her main program and turned it into a game object." He explained, sitting up. "Then this is.." Rena began. "Vivi's heart." Saburo finished. Tears welled up in Rena's eyes as she clutched the gem to her chest. "Thank you." She said, hugging Saburo.

"Saburo, if this game is cleared and this world ends, what will happen to her?" Rena asked. "Vivi's data is set to save to my NerveGear's local memory." Saburo explained. "When we get back, recreating her as Vivi won't be easy. But I'm still sure it'll work."

Rena held the gem as if it were the most precious thing in the world. "We'll be together again, Vivi. I promise."

A/N: I know It's been a few day since I've uploaded any SAO, but I was writing so much it was stressing me out a bit, so I decided to take a couple days off. Then, when I was finally ready to upload today, my MS Word decided to freak right the hell out. Anyways, finally got the chapter out, hope you guys enjoy!

-Dragon


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Back to Hell

Saburo stretched his arm as far as he could, trying to take Vivi's hand as the dark tendrils slowly engulfed her. No matter how far he reached, she only seemed to grow further and further away. She gave one final desperate outcry before she was swallowed up. "Daddy! Save me!"

Saburo shot up in bed, panting heavily. A thin sheen of sweat coated his skin, glistening in the low light of the early morning. Rena was woken by the sudden movement. "You okay, Saburo?" She asked, sitting up. "I'm fine. Just a dream." He replied, sighing deeply. "Vivi again?"

"I'll get her back Rena. I have to." Saburo said, bunching up his fists. "Egil and Diabel messaged me last night." Rena said. "They say it's time for us to head back to the front line." Saburo leaned back against the headboard, his silver hair illuminated by the rising sun. "I guess that's for the best. It's about time everyone woke up from this nightmare."

Saburo fastened the last of the buttons on his signature white coat as he stood in front of the full length mirror. As he pulled on his combat gloves, movement in the background caught his eye. Rena walked up behind him in her Knights of Elysium uniform. Nearly everything was the same. The black skirt, top and boots. Only one thing had been altered.

Vivi's Heart hung on the end of thin silver chain around her neck. "Feels weird doesn't it?" She asked, smoothing out the tiny wrinkles in her uniform. "Being back in uniform." Saburo nodded. "Yea, I'd gotten used to relaxing all day. I guess it's time to head back into the madness."

Floor 75: Front Line: Collnia

Diabel tapped his foot impatiently, while Egil stood stone still with his arms folded and eyes closed. Soon the blue haired warrior began to pace back and forth in front of the teleport gate. "They should be here by now." Diabel said as he stopped, turning to Egil. "What's taking them so long?" "Patience, Diabel." Egil said, keeping his eyes closed. "They'll be here."

Just as he finished speaking, the teleport gate illuminated with a bright blue light, revealing Saburo and Rena. They walked down the short flight of steps holding hands. "How was your vacation?" Egil asked as they approached. "Eventful, to say the least." Saburo replied. "Glad you enjoyed yourselves. Now let's get going!" Diabel said, motioning frantically. "Heathcliff is holding a meeting for the floor boss! We don't wanna be late!"

Castle Elysium- Floor 75

The raid party gathered around a central table in the war room of the new Knights of Elysium castle. "Everyone seems to be present," Heathcliff said as Saburo and Rena entered the room. "Let's get started." The paladin spread a map across the center table. On the paper was a detailed schematic of one of the connecting floor towers.

"The boss is located approximately four fifths of the way up the tower. The enemies are fairly easy, so perhaps we'll have a simple fight on our hands." He explained. "Is there any information on the boss?" Saburo asked, motioning to the map. "The door only opens when the raid party is fully assembled and confirms that they are ready to challenge the boss." Heathcliff replied. "We weren't able to get a look at it without challenging it."

"That makes things a bit trickier." Saburo said, furrowing his brow. "When are we planning to attack?" "The raid party is all accounted for and well supplied. We could challenge the boss today if necessary. There's no clear way to strategize of we have nothing to base the strategy upon." Heathcliff added.

Saburo nodded. "We'll head out around noon, then. Make sure everyone is fully supplied with the best armor and weapons. We'll also need to distribute potions among the raid party." Heathcliff turned to his second in command, a slender woman with red hair. "Get the troops organized. We'll be moving out in a few hours."

12:35AM

The raid party stood before the boss gate, Saburo and Heathcliff in the lead. "Alright, we all know the drill by now." The White Dragon said. "Hit hard and stay frosty." As he turned to the boss door, a notification appeared. 'Confirm raid party?' Saburo confirmed. The door swept open, letting in a draft of cold air. The raid party filtered into the room, a circular arena with a red stone floor. A heaping mountain of rotting bones was piled up in the center of the room, emitting a foul odor.

"I don't see a boss anywhere..." Rena said as she drew her rapier. Saburo looked around. "Same he-" The mountain of bones shifted, throwing dust into the air. Slowly, the bones unfurled, revealing their true form. Saburo's jaw dropped as he saw the boss's true form looming before them. A skeletal centipede-like monster rose off of the ground. Its legs were tapered down to needle-sharp points that would skewer a person easily. At the front of the bony creature was a humanoid skull with gleaming red eyes. At tail stretched put behind its body, a wicked scalpel like extrusion decorating the tip. A label hovered over its head. 'The Skull Reaper.'

"Avoid the tail!" Saburo called out as he rushed in to attack the monster. "Go for the legs!" Heathcliff yelled, charging in as the monster advanced. "They're weak points!" The raid party all followed, turning the arena into a jumble of battle cries and clanking weapons. The boss began to whip around, sending its tail thrashing in all directions. The blade caught Heathcliff, and just for a moment, Saburo though he saw a purple panel over the man's head.

He snapped out of it as the tail came whipping dangerously close to him. A soldier behind Saburo moved too slow and was caught across the chest with the tail. He shattered into prismatic bits after just one hit. 'Crap! It's really powerful!' Saburo thought as he hacked away at one of the uncountable legs. 'I'll have to dispatch the tail!'

"Rena! You think you can get rid of that tail?" He called over the roar of battle. "I'll need a boost!" She called, running at Saburo. Just as she was about to collide with him, he meshed his hands together. Rena hopped onto his springboard and was sent into the air as he tossed her upwards. "Pirouette!" She called as her rapier glowed with a red light. She spun through the air as she fell, her sword gaining a fierce amount of momentum.

She fell into the tail, ripping through it, before she touched down to the ground. The boss gave an out cry of pain as its tail thudded against the floor and shattered. "Good work!" Saburo said as she touched down. "He won't do near as much damage now!" Rena nodded. "Let's end this!"

The Skull Reaper exploded into fragments of prismatic light as the finishing blow was struck. Rena and Saburo collapsed, back to back, exhausted. The White Dragon looked around at the raid party, taking note of its size.

"How many did we lose?" He called out as everyone sat on the floor resting. "Fourteen, seven from both guilds." Egil replied back. Saburo gave a growl of anger. "We still have 25 floors to go..." "Can we even make it to the top?" Egil sighed.

In the brief moment of calm that had overtaken the raid party during their rest, Saburo's eyes turned to Heathcliff. His mind flashed back to their first fight together, when Heathcliff pulled off an impossible blow. Then his thoughts flickered to the flash of purple over his head during the boss fight. Heathcliff's, HP hovered just on the edge of green.

'If I wanted to, I could end him right here...' Saburo thought to himself. Silently, he picked up his sword. Heathcliff stood with his back to Saburo as he stared off into the distance. The White Dragon cocked his arm back as his sword glimmered with grey light as he hurled his sword at Heathcliff with all his power.

The paladin heard the projectile just a split second too late. As he turned to deflect the projectile, he wasn't able to raise his shield in time. Instead of decapitating him, The blade was met by a purple aura that flared up to protect Heathcliff. This time, the purple label above his head appeared fully. 'Immortal Object.'

Rena turned to see the blade crash into Heathcliff, activating the status. Her mind flashed back to the very same label that had appeared above Vivi's head. The raid party gasped as they saw the message.

Heathcliff stood silently, saying nothing as the message disappeared. "A-An immortal object?!" Diabel stuttered. "That status is only applied to programs and-" "And Game Masters." Saburo finished coldly. "The game ensures that his HP will never fall into the yellow zone."

"Back at the start of the game, my friend, Ailwen asked me a question. 'Where does he hide while he watches us and adjusts the world?' The simple answer eluded the both of us at the time. Something any child would know. There is nothing as boring as watching another person play an RPG." He turned to the paladin. "Isn't that right, Heathcliff? Or should I say, Kayaba Akihiko."

The raid party gave another unanimous gasp. "So, how did you figure me out?" Kayaba asked, keeping his ever-placid expression. "During our duel." Saburo explained. "No ordinary player should have been able to withstand that kind of attack without their HP dropping to zero. But yours never strayed beyond the green zone. Even if you had a 20Lvl lead on me, you would have at least dropped down to red. And just for a moment during the boss fight, you were caught off guard. It wasn't you who withstood that blow from the boss, it was the program you engineered to protect you."

"An unfortunate mistake on my part." Kayaba admitted. "You overpowered me to the point that I had to engage the system's over-assist mode." He gave a small chuckle. "Yes, truth is, I am Kayaba Akihiko. And if I may add, I am the game's final boss who would have awaited you at the top floor." Egil grunted in rage. "After all this time fighting together, you would just betray us all like that?!" He shouted.

"Not a bad storyline is it?" Kayaba said nonchalantly. "The game's strongest player become's the final boss." He looked to Saburo. "I always thought that you would be the one to face me at the end. But, your power exceeded my expectations. Well, all of the unexpected variables are what makes an MMORPG fun."

Heathcliff second in command bunched her fists up. "All of our loyalty...our hope...how dare you?!" She grabbed her sword and rushed Heathcliff, intending to strike him down where he stood. Kayaba turned and extended his hand. Instantly, she exploded into fragments of light. "Sorry, but it won't be that easy to defeat me." He said, coolly.

"Kayaba, you monster!" Rena screamed. "So now what, Kayaba? You can't expect us just to let you walk out of here alive." Saburo said, drawing his sword. "Of course not." Kayaba replied. "Normally, you'd have to make it to floor 100 to challenge me, but since you deduced my identity, I'll give you a special chance."

"A chance?" Saburo asked. "An opportunity, to fight me one-on-one. Naturally, I'll deactivate my immortal status. It will be a real test of skill. Defeat me, and you beat the game. All the players will be able to log out. How about it?"

Rena grabbed Saburo's arm. "You can't! Not alone! We should fall back for the moment." Saburo mind raced as he considered his options. Defeat the game now, or wait until the 100th Floor battle, when they're may barely be any player's left alive. He thought of Ailwen's final words. Saburo drew Rena in close. "I have to. For Vivi, for Ailwen, For everyone." Her eyes grew wide. "No! He'll kill you!" She protested. "Then I'll drag him down with me." Saburo replied. "Rena, if this is goodbye, then know that I love you." He gave her a warm embrace before turning to Kayaba. The White Dragon drew his sword. "Kayaba. Let's finish this."

"Red Mirror." Saburo's blazing second sword materialized in his hand. Kayaba opened his menu, deactivating his immortal status. Rena rushed forwards, before Egil caught her hand. "Thank you." Saburo said to the burly man.

'This is it.' The silver haired warrior thought to himself. 'We're fighting to kill. Only one of us will walk away from this alive.' "Ready when you are." Kayaba said unsheathing his sword.

The was a moment of silence as Saburo and Kayaba stared each other down. "Apollo's curse!" Saburo called, his swords glowed white hot as he rushed Kayaba. To nearly everyone in the room, he appeared to vanish completely from his sheer speed. Kayaba was caught off guard as Saburo materialized in front of him, a flurry of lightning quick blades slicing and tearing at him. He raised his shield just in time to block the onslaught. The paladin felt like his arm would fall off from the sheer force off the blows.

Kayaba threw Saburo back with his shield, only to have the warrior come flying at him again. He retaliated with his own barrage of sword blows, the harsh ringing of metal echoing through the dead silent room. Kayaba swept his blade around, missing Saburo's face by a hair. 'He designed all of these skills!' Saburo thought to himself as they exchanged blows. 'He'll be able to block all of the preset combos. I'll have to switch to manual control!'

Kayaba was caught across the face as Saburo's attack pattern suddenly changed, becoming more erratic. 'He's in manual!' The paladin thought to himself. He growled in frustration. The battle began to accelerate as they both took blows from their opponents. 'I have to win!' Saburo thought as he reached the limits of how fasts he was able to move. 'I need more speed! Faster!' He roared out loud as he continued his flurry of sword attacks. His HP was falling into the low yellow, due to his all-offensive method of attack.

Just as he went in for another rush of attacks, Saburo's pseudo-blade shattered under all of the abuse. "Goodbye." Kayaba said, bringing his sword around in a downwards arc.

"Shadow Transfer!" A female voice cried out. Saburo's eyes widened as time seems to slow down. 'No! That move!' Before he knew it, he found himself in Egil's grasp, as he switched positions with Rena. He was powerless to save her as Kayaba's blade speared through her chest, dropping her HP to zero.

"RENA!" Kayaba pulled his blade out of the girl as she lay on the ground panting heavily. Saburo ran to her side. Holding her in his arms. "I couldn't watch you die, Saburo." She said weakly. "I'm sorry." "No, Rena...This can't be happening..." She fractured into a aurora of light, as she closed her eyes. Saburo clutched weakly at the particles in the air as they faded from existence. He collapsed to the ground as a void of nothingness filled his chest.

Hot tears streamed down his face as the weight of the world crushed his shoulders. "How unexpected." Kayaba said, calmly. "That skill wasn't supposed to be implemented into the game yet. I guess these things happens sometimes." He looked down at Saburo, who was on his hands and knees.

The White Dragon began to emit a sound that no one expected. Saburo let out a small chuckle that slowly grew into a roaring guffaw, mixed with sobs. The silver haired teenager quaked with rage as he stood, laughing while tears cascaded down his face. "Shit, he's completely lost it." One of the raid party members breathed quietly.

Saburo picked up Rena's rapier, the blade rattling as he hands shook from the anger the was slowly enveloping him.

"Hmm? What's funny?" Kayaba asked. Saburo gave another small laugh. "I'm going to make you burn in hell, Kayaba."

Just as he was about to lunge in to attack, both of his arms were restricted. Saburo turned around, eyes blazing, to see who was stopping him from revenge. Egil had a firm grip on one of his arms, while Diabel restrained the other. "Saburo, you HP is almost in the red." Diabel said. "If you go in again, you will die. You're our strongest swordsman, we need you."

Saburo began to thrash wildly in an attempt to escape their grips. "You're not thinking clearly, Saburo!" Egil said, as Saburo struggled to break free. "Let me go, NOW!" Saburo roared as he jerked and twisted. Even though it pained them, Egil and Diabel both shook their heads no. "We will defeat him, Saburo. Just not today."

Kayaba turned and began to walk away. "What a pity, I didn't expect him lose control like that. I guess that the end of that fight." "HE'S GETTING AWAY!" Saburo roared, finally breaking one his arms free. "I'll be waiting at the Ruby Palace." Kayaba said, turning back for just a moment. Saburo hurled his blade at the man with all his might. Just as it was about to hit him, Kayaba disappeared in a flash of red light. The blade passed through harmlessly, clattering to the floor. Saburo went limp as his chance at killing Kayaba vanished along with him. "We'll get him, Saburo." Diabel said clasping his fists. As Saburo held onto Rena's rapier, a voice flickered through his head for a brief moment. "Saburo, come save me. I'll be waiting."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Ghosts

December 1, 2024

Saburo narrowed his eyes as the 90th floor boss collapsed to the ground, shattering. The number of front line fighters had been reduced to around 250. The ones who had made it this far had skills and talents that far exceeded that of normal players. "Only ten more to go." Diabel said, sheathing his sword. "We're clearing a boss around every three days now, we'll reach the top in no time."

The raid party was already traveling up the stairs to the next floor to begin scouting. Saburo followed behind the party with Egil and Diabel. "I'm coming for you Kayaba."

Floor 91: Willheim: Saburo turned and tossed in his bed, muttering in his sleep. A voice echoed through his head as he dreamed. "Saburo, I can't fight it off much longer! Help me!" Saburo shot up, panting hard. "Rena?!" He called out in the empty inn room. The only response was the creaking of the building as it settled. "I heard her voice. I know it." He said, clenching his fist. "Why do I keep having these dreams?"

Floor 91:Bleakshadow Forest

"It's not much further to boss tower." Egil said, pointing up ahead. Mottled sunlight dotted the forest floor, creating wavering shadows. The scouting party was small, consisting of only about ten people. Saburo walked far ahead of everyone else, just barely staying in their line of sight.

As he walked the forest path, Saburo noticed a flickering movement in the cluster of trees up ahead. His body tensed ever so slightly, but he kept walking, displaying no sign that he'd noticed. A little further along and he spotted the shadow again. Its movements were almost like it wanted him to notice.

The shadow was a deep black color, dancing back and forth through the trees. As Saburo drew nearer, he could hear humming. "Alright, who's there?" He called, drawing his sword. The dancing figure stopped in place. "Do you really want to know?"

Saburo heart froze. "That voice..."

The figure stepped out of the trees. There Rena stood, alive as ever. But something was...off about her. Her normal outfit was now pitch black with no trim. Her skin was ghostly white, almost shining. As she looked up at Saburo, her red irises were clearly visible. Shivers ran down The White Dragon's spine. "...Rena?"

The girl gave a little chuckle. "Not anymore. The system has your little girlfriend now." The girl was terrifyingly beautiful, like a glimmering darkness. "Rena, why are you talking like-" faster than Saburo could react, the girl dashed up to him, pressing the tip of her rapier against his throat. She whispered in his ear. "I told you, I'm not your precious Rena." She hissed. "I just came to say hello. This is what happens when you don't protect the things that are important to you."

Saburo was overwhelmed with emotions. This girl looked just like the person he loved so dearly, and even claimed to be the same at one point. So why was she standing her with a blade to his throat? "Rena, if you're still in there, I'll get you back." He choked out. For a moment the girl's face changed. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Saburo, I'm sor-" her face changed back to one of spite. She threw she Saburo backwards, sending him to the ground. "Looks like she's still being a bit feisty. I'll take care of that later."

Saburo growled in frustration, picking up his sword. The girl wagged her finger. "Ah-ah-ah, wouldn't wanna hurt your girlfriend would you? We've only just been reunited after all." She chuckled. "No matter, we'll be seeing each other again soon enough." She turned and began walking away. "Wait!" Saburo got to his feet running after her. Just as her reached to grab her hand, she vanished in a swirl of darkness.

Saburo punched the ground in frustration. "What the heck is going on?" The scout party came over a rise in the path. Egil spotted Saburo kneeling. "Are you okay?!" He called, running over. "I'm fine." Saburo lied, standing. "Just saw a stray shadow."

Floor 91: Willheim

The silver haired swordsman collapsed onto his bed after a long day of scouting and battling in the boss tower. He lay on his bed for several minutes trying to clear his head of the thought that kept flashing through it. 'The brain, it's all data, just like a computer. Can that data merge together?'

A/N: So, a lot of people are probably wondering where the story has been for like the past week. I've been hella busy working on my own projects. Don't panic, the story isn't dead, but I do plan on wrapping it up soon. There will be a sequel, and probably another when GunGale Online is released. I know this chapter is extra short, but I didn't want to get straight to the final fight. There are lots of plot details in this chapter, so enjoy finding the secrets!

-Dragon


End file.
